Grammar Review UNIT 10 P ARTS OF S PEECH. Literature Model. 476 Unit 10 Parts of Speech. from Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

UNIT 10 Grammar Review PARTS OF SPEECH Joseph Conrad’s celebrated short novel Heart of Darkness describes the journey of a young seaman up the Con...
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UNIT 10

Grammar Review PARTS

OF

SPEECH

Joseph Conrad’s celebrated short novel Heart of Darkness describes the journey of a young seaman up the Congo River in Africa. In this passage the seaman, named Marlow, describes a woman who approaches the boat on which he and a group of ivory seekers (whom Marlow ironically calls pilgrims) are traveling. The passage has been annotated to show Conrad’s use of the parts of speech covered in this unit.

Literature Model from Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Adjective Parts of Speech

“S Common noun

Relative Pronoun

Linking verb Adverb Subordinating conjunction

Possessive pronoun

Personal pronoun

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Unit 10 Parts of Speech

he walked with measured steps, draped in striped and fringed cloths, treading the earth proudly, with a slight jingle and flash of barbarous ornaments. She carried her head high; her hair was done in the shape of a helmet; she had brass leggings to the knee, brass wire gauntlets to the elbow, a crimson spot on her tawny cheek, innumerable necklaces of glass beads on her neck; bizarre things, charms, gifts of witch-men, that hung about her, glittered and trembled at every step. She must have had the value of several elephant tusks upon her. She was savage and superb, wild-eyed and magnificent; there was something ominous and stately in her deliberate progress. And in the hush that had fallen suddenly upon the whole sorrowful land, the immense wilderness, the colossal body of the fecund and mysterious life seemed to look at her, pensive, as though it had been looking at the image of its own tenebrous and passionate soul. “She came abreast of the steamer, stood still, and faced us. Her long shadow fell to the water’s edge. Her face had a tragic and fierce aspect of wild sorrow and of dumb pain mingled with the fear of some struggling, half-shaped resolve. She stood looking at us without a stir, and like the wilderness itself, with an air of brooding over an inscrutable purpose. A whole minute passed, and then she made a step forward. There was a low

Grammar Review jingle, a glint of yellow metal, a sway of fringed draperies, and she stopped as if her heart had failed her. The young fellow by my side growled. The pilgrims murmured at my back. She looked at us as if her life had depended on the unswerving steadiness of her glance. Suddenly she opened her bare arms and threw them up rigid above her head, as though in an uncontrollable desire to touch the sky, and at the same time the swift shadows darted out on the earth, swept around on the river, gathering the steamer into a shadowy embrace. A formidable silence hung over the scene. “She turned away slowly, walked on, following the bank, and passed into the bushes to the left. Once only her eyes gleamed back at us in the dusk of the thickets before she disappeared.”

Review: Exercise 1

Coordinating conjunction

Preposition

Verb

Identifying Nouns

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Parts of Speech

On your paper, identify each of the nouns in the following sentences, which are based on the passage from Heart of Darkness. After each noun write in parentheses common, proper, or collective, depending upon how the noun is used. The group of ivory hunters wondered at her proud demeanor. Her exotic ornaments made her seem a princess of Africa. Her clothing suggested armor. Neighboring tribes had sent her these gaudy necklaces. When she reached the bank of the Congo River, she stopped and stared at the sailors. An ominous silence seized the band of adventurers. To Marlow she represented the soul of the wilderness. He read sorrow in her fierce expression. Her boldness seemed to unnerve the men. She took each step cautiously and slowly. Her decorated neck glistened again in the sun. Had she learned her manner from the tiger or stolen its soul? The ivory seekers grew more frightened of the unusual woman. The woman stood a moment, staring at the group of men. Was she curious about the steamer, the men, or their business? What power the woman exerted when she threw up her arms! Was Marlow frightened, or did he understand her power? Did she signal to warriors crouching in the jungle? The pilgrims’ eyes followed her every move. Finally, she left the river bank and slowly retreated into the jungle. Grammar Review

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Grammar Review Review: Exercise 2

Using Pronouns Effectively

The following sentences describe the scene evoked in Heart of Darkness. On your paper, write the pronoun that makes sense in the blank. Follow the instructions in parentheses. SAMPLE ANSWER

The woman ________ walked toward the boat seemed to be an African princess. (Use a relative pronoun.) The woman who walked toward the boat seemed to be an African princess.

Parts of Speech

1. The princess carried ________ with great pride. (Use a reflexive pronoun.) 2. Her innumerable necklaces, ________ were made of glass, jingled as she walked. (Use a relative pronoun.) 3. ________ of the men aboard the boat knew what to make of her. (Use an indefinite pronoun.) 4. All of ________ stared at the woman. (Use a third-person plural personal pronoun.) 5. ________ could be her purpose in approaching the steamer? (Use an interrogative pronoun.) 6. ________ was a woman with a menacing air. (Use a demonstrative pronoun.) 7. Marlow ________ wondered at her audacity. (Use an intensive pronoun.) 8. ________ in her behavior hinted that a confrontation was imminent. (Use an indefinite pronoun.) 9. Would she command ________ followers to attack the steamer? (Use a third-person singular possessive pronoun.) 10. The crew members murmured fearfully among ________. (Use a reflexive pronoun.)

Review: Exercise 3

Identifying Verbs and Verb Phrases

A list of scrambled verb phrases follows. Unscrambled, they are similar to some of those that appear in the Conrad passage. First, unscramble each verb phrase, and write it on your paper. Then write a sentence, using the verb phrase. Your sentences should describe a proud and exotic person. SAMPLE ANSWER

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

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have been must must have been; The man must have been one of the last great hunters.

been might have lived have may going have been could have might seen thought would have enjoyed would have attacked have might have should inspected could left have have swum would

Unit 10 Parts of Speech

Grammar Review Review: Exercise 4

Identifying Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

The following sentences contain verbs that appear in the passage from Heart of Darkness. For each item, write transitive or intransitive on your paper, depending upon the way the italicized verb is used in the sentence. Then write your own sentence, using the same verb either transitively or intransitively, as it is used in the item. She watched the men as a cat watches its prey. transitive; Marlow watched the woman with keen interest.

SAMPLE ANSWER

The tiger’s eyes gleamed in the darkness. intransitive; The still water gleamed in the moonlight.

Stealthily the tiger carried its prey up a tree. The tree’s limbs trembled from the animal’s weight. Hours passed while the tiger lay silent. Animals made soft, rushing noises in the undergrowth. At the approach of another big cat, the tiger growled softly. The intruder opened its jaws in silence. Tension hung in the humid air. Monkeys threw leaves and branches toward the intruder. The big cat darted abruptly into the thicket. The animal disappeared swiftly and silently.

Review: Exercise 5

Parts of Speech

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Writing Sentences with Adjectives

The following sentences are adapted from Heart of Darkness. First, identify the adjectives in each sentence. Then, for each sentence in this exercise, write a sentence of your own with an identical structure. Place your adjectives in the same position in which they appear in the sentence in this exercise. Each of your sentences may be about a different subject. SAMPLE ANSWER

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

There was a crimson spot on her tawny cheek. crimson, her, tawny There was a lone wolf on the arctic plain.

On her neck sparkled many chains of beads. She was clothed in bizarre charms and exotic ornaments. Savage, superb, and magnificent was her manner. Perhaps she personified the whole sorrowful land. Her eyes, fierce and tragic, startled the men. Inscrutable, she stared at the crew. With a quiet jingle and a glint of yellow metal, she stopped. She thrust her bare arms toward the distant sky. Dusk covered the steamer in a shadowy embrace. A formidable silence fell over the entire scene. Grammar Review

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Grammar Review Review: Exercise 6

Using Adverbs

The following sentences are inspired by an image from the passage from Heart of Darkness. Rewrite each sentence, substituting an appropriate adverb for the phrase in italics. The adverb should express the same idea as the prepositional phrase. SAMPLE ANSWER

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

The forest loomed in an ominous way behind her. The forest loomed ominously behind her.

The woman walked with a slow gait through the forest. Her manner was in a vague way menacing. She strode with an air of deliberation toward the steamer. The woman gazed at the men in an unswerving manner. She turned with an abrupt movement and walked away.

Review: Exercise 7

Using Prepositions

Parts of Speech

The following sentences elaborate on a description in the Conrad passage. Rewrite each sentence, filling in the blanks with a preposition that completes the phrase in italics and makes sense in the sentence. In some cases there may be more than one preposition that makes sense. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

The woman’s body swayed ________ a sinuous motion as she approached the river. The glass beads ________ her neck flashed in the sun. The ivory charms glowed ________ her dark skin. She stood ________ the silent jungle like a ghost. Marlow saw the woman’s shadow ________ the river bank.

Review: Exercise 8

Using Conjunctions

The following sentences describe the Congo region in Africa, where Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is set. Rewrite each sentence, filling in the blanks with appropriate conjunctions. Follow the instructions in parentheses. 1. ________ they explored the Congo, Europeans discovered valuable resources. (Add a subordinating conjunction.) 2. In their quest for ivory, the colonial elephant hunters were discouraged by ________ danger ________ physical hardships. (Add a correlative conjunction.) 3. In the late nineteenth century parts of the Congo were controlled by France ________ Belgium. (Add a coordinating conjunction.) 4. The French region became the People’s Republic of the Congo, ________ the Belgian sector is now known as Zaire. (Add a subordinating conjunction.) 5. In the Republic of the Congo, most of the people are farmers, ________ only a small percentage of the land is cultivated. (Add a subordinating conjunction.)

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Unit 10 Parts of Speech

Grammar Review Review: Exercise 9

Proofreading The following passage describes the artist Henri Rousseau, whose painting appears on this page. Rewrite the passage, correcting the errors in spelling, capitalization, grammar, and usage. Add any missing punctuation. There are ten errors.

Henri Rousseau 1

Parts of Speech

The French painter Henri Julien Félix Rousseau (1844–1910) worked for fifteen years as a goverment clerk before devoting himself to painting. 2Entirely selftaught, Rousseau does not earn no acclaim for his deliberately naive style until the early years of this century. 3Then some critics begun to hail him as one of the founders of modern art. 4 Rousseau, who was famous for his exotic scenes appears to have based them almost entirely on his imagination. 5Appears never to have traveled outside of France. 6 Critics believe that he modeled his plants on the flora of parisian gardens and based his animals on toys and photographs. 7 The Equatorial Jungle typical of Rousseau’s later paintings. 8It’s colors are subtle, the perspective is deliberately distorted, and the vegetation seems animate and menacing. 9A similar sense of primordial mystery pervades Joseph Conrads’ Heart of Darkness. Henri Rousseau, The Equatorial Jungle, 1909

Grammar Review

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Grammar Review Review: Exercise 10

Mixed Review The biography of Joseph Conrad that appears on this page is followed by five sentences. Rewrite each sentence, filling in the blank with an appropriate word. Use the directions in parentheses as a guide. You will need to consult the biography in order to fill in some of the blanks properly.

Joseph Conrad

Parts of Speech

One of the great modern masters of English prose, Joseph Conrad did not learn the language until he was twenty years old. He was born in Russia in 1857 of Polish parents, both of whom died when he was young. He was cared for by an uncle until he joined the French merchant marine at the age of sixteen. He spent the next four years sailing on French ships to ports throughout South America and the Caribbean. At the age of twenty, he joined the English merchant marine and for sixteen years traveled to the South Seas. In 1890 he captained a boat traveling up the Congo River in Africa, an experience that inspired Heart of Darkness. Conrad ended his seafaring career in 1894, married, and retired to southern England. The Conrads moved about, living in two or three houses not far from London. There, in the various country homes he and his family rented, he wrote sixteen books, including Lord Jim, Nostromo, and the novella The Secret Sharer. Conrad’s life at sea and in foreign ports provided the background for much of his writing. People assumed, because of these tales of foreign places, that Conrad was committed to foreign affairs. The truth was simply that Conrad was concerned with the human condition. He chose his characters out of experience and concern for their situations, not out of an allegiance to some other flag. Lord Jim is Conrad’s best-known novel. In this work, a man spends his life trying to make up for an act of cowardice he committed as a young officer during a shipwreck in the East. Conrad’s novel studies the man’s emotions, the idea of personal honor, and the issue of cowardice. In most of Conrad’s writings, his outlook on life is gloomy. Heart of Darkness is no exception as Conrad explores the sinister depths to which humans will sink. 1. ________ Conrad did not learn English until he was twenty, he became a master of English prose. (Add a subordinating conjunction.) 2. In his lifetime Joseph Conrad had two careers: he ________ a sailor and a writer. (Add a linking verb.) 3. Conrad had a(n) ________ childhood, for both his parents died when he was young. (Add an adjective.) 4. Conrad was born in Russia to parents who were ethnically________. (Add a proper adjective.) 5. For twenty years he sailed on ________ and ________ ships to Latin America and the South Seas. (Add proper adjectives.)

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Unit 10 Parts of Speech

Writing Application Conjunctions in Writing In the following paragraph from his novel The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro uses connectives effectively to link ideas. Read the passage, focusing especially on the italicized connectives.

Techniques with Conjunctions Try to apply some of Ishiguro’s techniques when you write and revise your own work: 1

When appropriate, use a coordinating conjunction other than and to clarify the relationship between ideas.

2

For more about the writing process, see TIME Facing the Blank Page, pp. 109–119.

Try to replace some coordinating conjunctions with appropriate conjunctive adverbs.

Lord Darlington, and, in retrospect, one ISHIGURO’S VERSION “ . . . Lord Darlington; indeed, in retrospect, one . . .” USING AND

3 Use appropriate subordinating con-

junctions to make the relationships between ideas clear. WITHOUT When preoccupied with the peace treaty that was drawn up ISHIGURO’S VERSION “ . . . preoccupied with the peace treaty when it was drawn up . . .”

4

Parts of Speech

The conference of 1923 was the culmination of long planning on the part of Lord Darlington; indeed, in retrospect, one can see clearly how his lordship had been moving towards this point for some three years or so before. As I recall, he had not been initially so preoccupied with the peace treaty when it was drawn up at the end of the Great War, and I think it is fair to say that his interest was prompted not so much by an analysis of the treaty, but by his friendship with Herr Karl-Heinz Bremann.

some three and so years before ISHIGURO’S VERSION “. . . some three or so years before.” USING AND

When appropriate, stress the relationship between ideas by using correlative conjunctions instead of coordinating conjunctions.

. . . BUT was not prompted by an analysis of the treaty ISHIGURO’S VERSION “ . . . was prompted not so much by an analysis of the treaty, but by his friendship . . .” WITHOUT NOT

Practice

Practice these techniques by revising the following passage on a separate sheet of paper. Rewrite the entire passage, deleting or changing the italicized words, adding conjunctions in the places marked by carets (^), and making any other appropriate revisions.

My sister Sally ^ dislikes letting me use her car, and she also dislikes driving me anywhere. her schedule may be hectic, and yet I find her attitude selfish. She realizes that my summer job is ^ important to the household, and yet she offers no assistance in transporting me to work. ^ she is older than I am, and so she has certain privileges, and yet with those privileges come certain responsibilities that she is failing to meet.

Writing Application

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