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The 1986 Study

Record Number: W4N01

Level Four: Add Verbals

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   Verbals are in 18-point bold, usually blue, with their functions indicated after them. (I can't easily draw boxes, ovals, and arrows on web documents.)  Other words counted in relation to them (such as conjunctions, complements, etc.) are also in 18-point bold. The font size of words aleady analyzed has been decreased. Words which remain to be analyzed are still in 14-point black

    My house is {on a corner}. / It has red bricks and white trim./

[If you go {in the front door}] [you go {down the hall} and turn {left}]

you come {to my brothers room}. / [If you go straight again and turn

{right}] is my room./ [If you go {across the hall}] is a bathroom./

Then go straight is my mom and dad room. / Now I'll tell you {about 

my room}, / it is pink and has blue carpet. / I'll tell you {about my 

brothers room}. / It is cream color walls, and brown carpet. / He also

has a T.V./ My mom and dads room have cream walls and green

carpet. / Thats all the bedrooms, / now lets go (Inf. -- D.O. of 

"let") {in the family room}, another bedroom, my dogs room. /

There is a tv {in that room}. / A couch, and a chair. / The kitchen

isnt very popular. / We eat {in there}. / Theres a table and four

chairs, a oven, a sink, a refriderator, and cabnets. / We have

dining room and a living room. / We put our Christmas tree {in the

living room}. / We have a table, two chairs, and a couch. / We 

sometimes eat {in the dining room}. / The house is {on 300 Main 

Street}. /

     The worst day [I ever spent {in my life}] was [when I was six

years old.] / I was watching my brother and his friends play (Inf.,

D.O. of "was watching" Note #1) soccer (D.O. of "play").

I had a popcicle {in my hand}./ I wanted to go (D.O. of 

"wanted") inside. / So I was going to go {up the steps} {to the 

door},/ I tripped {in a gap} {in the sidewalk}and hit my head {on the 

steps}. / I was crying as loud [as I could.] / My dad had just got

home {from work}, [so he was {in his good clothes}.] / He heard

me crying (Gerundive to "me" Note #2) / and he picked me

up. / He took me {to the bathroom}./ [When we got {to the 

bathroom}] both {of our shirts} were soked {with blood}. / My mom

was {in the bathroom}. / She was cleaning, [so she had just wetted a

washcloth.] / She put it {on my head}. / The cloth was very cold./

{In about fifteen minutes} the bleeding stopped. /

     Today I feel great. / It's [beause we got Nickelodean, Disney 

Channel, andM.T.V.] / I really like it. / Do you like to watch

(Inf., D.O. of "do like") T.V (D.O. of "to watch") ? / I can't

wait {until Halloween}. / I might be a punk or a chinese girl. / I might

even be a cowgirl. / What are you going to be {for Halloween}? /

     Today I feel great! / I am looking forward {to a visit}{from my 

cousin Curt  and his wife Michelle}. / He is going to show us 

pictures {of [when he was {in Hong Kong}]}! / He and his wife

travel a lot! / Today I feel awful! / [Becaus my dad said [he was 

going to get rid {of the Disney Chanel and all that junk} [because my

brother and I fuss {over it}.]]] / But my dad might let us 

(Subj. of infinitive "keep") keep (Inf., D.O. of "might let") 

it (D.O. of ""keep") [if were good.] /
 

Notes

1. Note that at this level, "brother" and "friends," which were considered as the direct objects of "was watching" in Level Two, are now best seen as the subjects of the infinitive "play," and the infinitive phrase, based on "play" is now best seen as the direct object of "was watching."

2. At this stage, students will want to analyze "crying" as a gerundive to "me" because that is the only option they know. In Level Five, they will learn about Noun Absolutes and be able to consider "me crying" as one. The explanation using the absolute fits the meaning better since what the father actually heard was the crying.
 
 

Progress:
Total Words = 483 Words %
L1: In Prep Phrases 125  26 %
L1A: + Adj. & Averbs  89 44 %
L2: + S / V / C 233 93 %
L3: + Clauses 17 96 %
L4: + Verbals 12 99 %

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