1
Unit 3 - Subordinate Clauses as Direct Objects
of
The Third “Ideal” KISS Grammar Book
In Book 2, you learned about compound main clauses. In this unit you will learn how subordinate clauses can function as direct objects in a main clause. In other words, just as prepositional phrases can be embedded in prepositional phrases, clauses can be embedded in clauses.
Subordinate Clauses as Direct Objects
Instructional Material
Ex. 1 - Subordinate Clauses as Direct Objects from The Velveteen Rabbit (#1)
Ex. 2 - Subordinate Clauses as Direct Objects from Pinocchio (#1)
Ex. 3 - Subordinate Clauses as Direct Objects from Pinocchio (#2)
Quotation Marks to indicate words that are spoken
Ex. 4 – “In the Garden” (Part 1) From Ben and Alice
Ex. 5 -- “In the Garden” (Part 2) From Ben and Alice
Ex. 6 – “Come to My Party” (Part 1) From Ben and Alice
Ex. 7 – “Come to My Party” (Part 2) From Ben and Alice
Ex. 8 – Just for Fun: A Murder Mystery
Reading, Writing, Vocabulary & Style
Ex. 9 – Adding Prepositional Phrases of Time and Space
Ex. 10 – Fill in the Blanks (“The Wolf and the Man”)
Ex. 11 – Sentence Combining and De-Combining” (“The Wolf and the Man”)
Ex. 12 – Punctuation: The Opening of “The Wolf and the Man”
For more information about the KISS Grammar “Ideal” books, go to:
© Ed Vavra 12/16/2016
Subordinate Clauses as Direct Objects
Instructional Material
As you have seen, “compound main clauses” is what we call sentences that have two or more main clauses. Many clauses, however, function as part of another clause. Consider the sentence:
All children will love what is beautiful.
By now you know that the basic sentence pattern is subject / verb / complement, and you know that complements answer the question “whom?” or “what?” after the verb. In the sentence above, the main subject and verb are “children will love.” If we ask “Will love whom or what?’ the answer is another clause—“what is beautiful.” That clause functions in the same way as does any direct object:
Allchildrenwill love[DOwhatisbeautiful(PA)].|
As the sentence above shows, in KISS we put brackets [ ] around subordinate clauses, and you can indicate the function of the clause by writing it above the opening bracket.
Subordinate clauses have other functions, but for now we’ll focus on direct objects. You will probably find a lot of them in what you read and in what you write.
Ex. 1 - Subordinate Clauses as Direct Objectsfrom The Velveteen Rabbit (#1)
by Margery WilliamsLondon: Heinemann, 1922
Illustration by William Nicholson /
Directions:
1. Put parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.
2. Underline subjects once, verbs twice, and label complements (“PN,” “PA,” “IO,” or “DO”).
3. Put brackets [ ] around subordinate clauses that function as direct objects. Above the opening bracket write “DO.”
4. Put a vertical line after every main clause.
5. Label each interjection (“Inj”), each noun used as an adverb (“NuA”), and each example of direct address (“DirA”).
1. He didn’t know that real rabbits existed.
2. He thought they were all stuffed with sawdust like himself.
3. He understood that sawdust was quite out-of-date and should never be mentioned in modern circles.
4. Timothy pretended he was connected with Government.
5. He knew that they were only toys, and would never turn into anything else.
6. “What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day.
7. Little Rabbit, don’t you know who I am?
8. He never noticed how his beautiful velveteen fur was getting shabbier and shabbier.
Ex. 2 - Subordinate Clauses as Direct Objectsfrom Pinocchio (#1)
BY C. COLLODIILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOR BY MARIA L. KIRK.
Philadelphia; London: J. B. Lippincott Co. 1920 /
Directions:
1. Put parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.
2. Underline subjects once, verbs twice, and label complements (“PN,” “PA,” “IO,” or “DO”).
3. Put brackets [ ] around each subordinate clause that functions as a direct object and write “DO” above the opening bracket.
4. Put a vertical line after every main clause.
5. Label each interjection (“Inj”), each noun used as an adverb (“NuA”), and each example of direct address (“DirA”).
1. Tell me, Cricket, who may you be?
2. I thought I would make a beautiful wooden puppet.
3. Then feel and see if by chance I have got fever.
4. Poor little goose! But do you not know that in that way you will grow up a donkey, and that every one will make game of you?
5. Poor Pinocchio had not as yet discovered that his feet were burnt off.
6. But the poor little devil hardly knew where he was.
7. We can never know, my dear boy, what may happen to us.
8. Now come here to me, and tell me how you fell into the hands of those assassins.
9. He thought that he heard music in the distance.
Ex. 3 - Subordinate Clauses as Direct Objectsfrom Pinocchio (#2)
BY C. COLLODIILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOR BY MARIA L. KIRK.
Philadelphia; London: J. B. Lippincott Co. 1920 /
Directions:
1. Put parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.
2. Underline subjects once, verbs twice, and label complements (“PN,” “PA,” “IO,” or “DO”).
3. Put brackets [ ] around each subordinate clause that functions as a direct object and write “DO” above the opening bracket.
4. Put a vertical line after every main clause.
5. Label each interjection (“Inj”), each noun used as an adverb (“NuA”), and each example of direct address (“DirA”).
1. I must tell you that the curtain was drawn up, and the play had already begun.
2. At that moment he thought that he heard a slight rustle of leaves behind him.
3. I promise you that I will go to school, and that I will study and earn a good character.
4. He could not in the least imagine in what world he was.
5. At first he could not understand where the wind came from.
6. He could not tell if he was really awake or if he was dreaming with his eyes open.
7. Tell me, little Cricket, where can I find a tumbler of milk for my poor papa?
Quotation Marks to indicate words that are spoken
When the subordinate clause tells the exact words that someone said, it is placed in quotation marks:
Timothy Toadsaid,[DO“Iwill hopback {with you}, Tilly[DirA]!”]|
You have seen how direct objects can appear before the subject and verb, as in
Allthis(DO)the oldkingsaw.|
The same thing can happen with subordinate clauses that function as direct objects:
[DO“Thatisa marvelousstory(PN),”]criedthesister.|
/ A Passage for AnalysisEx. 4 – “In the Garden” (Part 1)From Ben and Alice
Directions:
1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.
2. Underline the verbs twice, their subjects once. (Write in any understood “you.”)
3. Label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”)
4. Place brackets around each subordinate clause that functions as a direct object, and put “DO” above the opening bracket.
5. Put a vertical line | after each main clause.
6. Write “DirA” over each word that functions as Direct Address.
Blackie ran to Ben.
“Bow -wow!” said Blackie. “Come to the garden with me. I want to run and play.”
“I will,” said Ben. “Run to the garden, Blackie. I will find Alice and Whitie. They are in the house.”
“Here we are,” said Alice.
Away they ran to the garden.
A Passage for AnalysisEx. 5 -- “In the Garden” (Part 2)From Ben and Alice
/Directions:
1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.
2. Underline the verbs twice, their subjects once. (Write in any understood “you.”)
3. Label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”)
4. Place brackets around each subordinate clause that functions as a direct object, and put “DO” above the opening bracket.
5. Put a vertical line | after each main clause.
6. Write “DirA” over each word that functions as Direct Address.
“Run, Blackie,” said Ben. “Run to the big tree.” Away ran the dog. Ben ran after Blackie.
“Run, Whitie,” said Alice. “Run to the little tree.” Away ran the little cat.Alice ran after Whitie. They ran and ran in the big garden.
A Passage for AnalysisEx. 6 – “Come to My Party” (Part 1)From Ben and Alice
/Directions:
1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.
2. Underline the verbs twice, their subjects once. (Write in any understood “you.”)
3. Label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”)
4. Place brackets around each subordinate clause that functions as a direct object, and put “DO” above the opening bracket.
5. Put a vertical line | after each main clause.
6. Write “DirA” over each word that functions as Direct Address, “NuA” over Nouns Used as Adverbs, and “Inj” over Interjections.
“Come to my doll party in the garden,” said Alice. “Bring your doll with you.”
“Thank you,” said Betty. “We will come to your party.”
“I will bring my boy doll with his new cap,” said Susie.
“I will bring my girl doll to your party,” said Helen.
A Passage for AnalysisEx. 7 – “Come to My Party” (Part 2)From Ben and Alice
/Directions:
1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.
2. Underline the verbs twice, their subjects once. (Write in any understood “you.”)
3. Label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”)
4. Place brackets around each subordinate clause that functions as a direct object, and put “DO” above the opening bracket.
5. Put a vertical line | after each main clause.
6. Write “DirA” over each word that functions as Direct Address, “NuA” over Nouns Used as Adverbs, and “Inj” over Interjections.
“My new baby doll will come with me,” said Alice. “We will have a good time at the party in the garden. We will play with Whitie. Mary put a table under the tree. We will eat in the garden. You will see my new doll house. It is by a little tree.”
“What a good time we will have,” said Susie and Helen and Betty. “We want to come to your party.”
Ex. 8 – Just for Fun: A Murder Mystery
Directions:
1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.
2. Underline the verbs twice, their subjects once. (Write in any understood “you.”)
3. Label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”)
4. Place brackets around each subordinate clause that functions as a direct object, and put “DO” above the opening bracket.
5. Put a vertical line | after each main clause.
6. Write “DirA” over each word that functions as Direct Address, “NuA” over Nouns Used as Adverbs, and “Inj” over Interjections.
A man was murdered Sunday morning. His wife immediately called the police. The police questioned the wife and staff and got these answers:
The wife said she was sleeping.
The cook replied that she was preparing breakfast.
The gardener answered that he was gathering vegetables.
The maid responded that she was getting the mail.
The butler claimed he was polishing pans in the pantry.
The police instantly arrested the murderer. Who did it, and how did they know?
Reading, Writing, Vocabulary & Style
Ex. 9 – AddingPrepositional Phrasesof Time and Space
/ / Rentoul, Annie R.and
Outhwaite, Grenbry,
Fairyland,
Frederick A.Stokes, 1926.
Directions:
Rewrite each of the following sentences by adding at least two prepositional phrases. One phrase should indicate time (when something happened), and the other should indicate place (where something happened).
1. Jim and Jane were playing catch.
2. The twins watched a movie.
3. Their friends went fishing.
4. Amanda won the race.
5. Bill read a story.
6. The family went on a picnic.
7. Paul visited his grandparents.
8. Ellen made a sandwich.
9. The snake escaped.
10. The students put on a play.
Ex. 10 – Fill in the Blanks (“The Wolf and the Man”)
by James BaldwinFrom The Fairy Reader
NEW YORK •:• CINCINNATI •:• CHICAGO
AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY, 1905 /
Directions: The following sentences have been adapted from the story. Fill in the blanks with the indicated part of speech. Make the sentences interesting, but don’t try to remember the words from the story. You can change “a” and “an.”
1. The ______Adj_____Wolf _____Adv_____made a ______N______at the ______Adj_____hunter.
2. In a little while a ______Adj_____hunter _____Adv____came down the ______Adj_____road.
3. The Wolf ______V______the ______N______of the ______N______in ______Adj_____ his shoulder.
4. _____Adv_____ into the woods the Wolf ______V______.
5. A ______N______of ______Adj_____ stones ______V______about my ears.
6. ______N______, ______N______, and ______N______V______along this road every day.
7. The Wolf ______V______with pain, and began to ______V______for another spring.
/Ex. 11 – Sentence Combining and De-Combining” (“The Wolf and the Man”)
by James BaldwinFrom The Fairy Reader
NEW YORK •:• CINCINNATI •:• CHICAGO
AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY, 1905
A. Rewrite each of the following into one sentence so that they look like the sentences in “B.”
1. And now the hunter drew his knife. His knife was long.
2. The hunter had a long knife. It wasat his side.
3. First he took a stick from his shoulder.Andhe blew into it.
4. He led the Wolf a long way to a road. The road was near the edge of the woods.
5. The Fox was smarter than the Wolf. The Fox was cunning.
Rewrite each of the following as two sentences so that they look more like the sentences in “A.”
6. Then he drew a bone from his body. The bone was sharp.
7. Some little things flew out of it.They hit me in the face.
8. But the hunter took aim.He shot at the Wolf’s head.
9. The Wolf sprang upon the hunter. The hunter was fearless.
10. Then a little boy came by. His books were under his arm.
Ex. 12 – Punctuation: The Opening of “The Wolf and the Man”
by James BaldwinFrom The Fairy Reader
NEW YORK •:• CINCINNATI •:• CHICAGO
AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY, 1905 /
Directions: The punctuation in this passage has been lost. Please fix it, right on this page.
One day far in the woods a Fox met a Wolf
Did you ever see a man asked the Fox
No said the Wolf but I have heard that there is such a creature He has only two legsand so he can not do very much
He can do everything cried the Fox The only way for any animal to get along with him is by being cunning like myself
Well said the Wolf I do not care to be cunning If I ever meet a man I will fly at him
Do as you like answered the Fox If you will go with me tomorrow I will show you a man