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The 1986 Study

Record Number: W4N10

Level Five: Add Eight Additional Constructions

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      Words that remained  to be explained (and some for which a better explanation can now be provided) are in 18-point bold black, with their functions indicated after them. The font size of words aleady analyzed has been decreased. 

     There are five people {in my family} my mom (Appositive to 

"people") , my dad (Appositive to "people") and my two 

brothers (Appositive to "people") / their names are Ray and

Paul. / I live {at 328 Sandy Dr.} / First I think [I will start {with my 

dad.}] / My dad works {at Optimal Arts.} / He travels pretty much. /

He goes all Note # 1{over the place} asking {for money} {for his 

company.} / My dad's name is Bill. / I will talk {about my mom.} /

Well (Interjection) she is pretty tall  / and she is also pretty./

Everyday she stays home (NuA to "stays") and watches my

brother{except [when he goes {to preschool.}]/ My mom's name is

Sarah. / I will talk {about my big brother.} / He likes to play golf 

lot (NuA to "likes" or "play"). / His best is an eighty-two {on 

eighteen holes}{from the men's tee's.}/ And that is good {from the 

men's tee's.} / My brother is 13 / His name is Ray. / Now my little 

brother Paul (Appositive to "brother"). / He can be a really pain

sometimes. / Like Note #2 [when I am talking {on the phone}and

sitting {on the sofa}] he starts jumping {on the sofa} / and I start 

bouncing up and down. / But I like him a lot (NuA to "like"). /

He is three years (NuA to "old") old. / His name is Paul. /

     I will talk {about myself.} /  Well (Interjection) I like playing 

golf also. / My best score {on eighteen holes} is an eighty-six {from the

ladie's tee's.}/ That is really good {for me.} / My best {from the men's 

tee's}{on nine holes} is a forty-six {on the hardest nine.} / I am nine 

years (NuA to "old") old. /

     I will talk {about Dierdorf Pupper Walter.} / Well 

(Interjection) he is a four legged creature / He is a dog. / He has

brown and black fur. / I like him a lot (NuA to "like"). / He is 

eleven years (NuA to "old") old. / Yesterday was his birthday. /

     My house is mosty made {of bricks} / and the other part

is made {out of something else} / I don't know [what it is] though.

Note #3 / I live {at 423 Sandy Drive.} / My house is pretty big. / We

have a big back yard. / I have the biggest bedroom {in the house} {out 

of five rooms.} / Our basement is big. / We have a pinball machine

and a big ping-pong table. / Most (NuA to "stay") {of the time} I 

stay downstairs. / [Because it is cool {down there.}] / [After I come

in [when it is hot outside]] I go down {in the basement.} / Then I get

cold [so I go upstairs.] / My brother's room isthe second biggest {in 

the house.} / My parent's room is {down the hall} [when you walk in.]

/ My little brothers room is{in the hall} also. / So is the bathroom. / We

have a living room and a family room and a kitchen. / Well 

(Interjection) that is all {about my house.} /
 

Notes

1. "All" functions as a Noun Used as an Adverb modifying  the adverbial prepositional phrase "over the place."

2. This is a fascinating little question related to "Language as a Stream of Meaning." The entire fragment, plus the following main clause, can be viewed as a long prepositional phrase which presents a specific example of the preceding main clause:

He can be a really pain sometimes, (Like [[when I am talking {on the phone}and sitting {on the sofa}] he starts jumping {on the sofa} ] and [I start bouncing up and down.])
Viewing it this way creates a 33-word main clause, extremely complex for a fourth grader.
     Most adults would probably write this sentence either by simply eliminating the "Like," or by replacing it with "For example." [This is definitely NOT something that I would bring to the attention of a fourth grader.]

3. There are at least two ways of looking at this "though." One is to consider it as an adverb, comparable to "however." The other is to note its function as a subordinate conjunction, but in cases such as this, it is stripped of its function because the subordinate clause has been stripped from its main clause: 

My house is mosty made {of bricks} / and [although I don't know [what it is]]  the other part is made {out of something else} /
See "Language as a Stream of Meaning."
 
Progress:
Total Words = 438 Words %
L1: In Prep Phrases 114  27
L1A: + Adj. & Averbs 94 47
L2: + S / V / C 189 91
L3: + Clauses 13 94
L4: + Verbals 8 95
L5: + Eight Additional 20 100

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