SAMPLE

I do not know whether the woman who was asking so many questions was really
interested in the subject, or whether she wanted to attract the attention of the speaker towards
herself, but whatever her motive was, she succeeded in making him feel so much confused that
he eventually sat down, blushed and remained silent.
M1: ‘I do not know'
S1: 'Whether the woman was really interested in the subject': Noun clause,
object of 'know'.
S1.1: 'Who was asking so many questions': Adjective clause,
postmodifying 'woman'.
S2: 'Or whether she wanted to attract the attention of the speaker
towards herself: Noun clause, object of 'know'.
M2: 'But she succeeded in making him feel so much confused'
S3: 'Whatever her motive was': Adverb clause of concession,
modifying 'succeeded'.
S4: 'That he eventually sat down, blushed and remained silent':
Adverb clause of result, modifying 'confused'.
(M: main clause; S: subordinating/dependent clause)

PRACTICE EXERCISES: 
I. Analyse the following sentences according to descriptive analysis:

1. Investigators at first suggested that the blight was caused by static energy, smoke from
railroad trains, or vapors from underground volcanoes; however, the root cause was later
discovered as an airborne fungus that traveled from Mexico.

M1 : Investigators at first suggested

S1 : that the blight was caused by static energy, smoke from railroad trains, or vapors from
underground volcanoes ( NOUN CLAUSE – OBJECT OF ‘SUGGESTED’

M2 : however, the root cause was later discovered as an airborne fungus

S2 : that traveled from Mexico (ADJ CLAUSE- POST MODIFIER OF ‘FUNGUS’

2. Due to the apparent screaming that the plant made as it was pulled from the ground, people in
the Middle Ages believed that the person who removed the mandrake from the earth would
either die or go insane.

M1: Due to the apparent screaming……. people in the Middle Ages believed

S1 : that the plant made : ADJ CLAUSE – POST MODIFIER OF ‘SCREAMING’

S1.1 : as it was pulled from the ground : ADVERBIAL CLAUSE

S2 : that the person would either die or go insane. ( NOUN CLAUSE – OBJECT OF ‘
BELIEVED’

S2.1 : who removed the mandrake from the earth : ADJ CLAUSE – POST MODIFIER OF
‘PERSON’

3. The tiger moth, in deed, is a clear example of a concept that many predators intuitively
understand that creatures with the brightest coloration are often the least suitable to eat.

M1 : The tiger moth, in deed, is a clear example of a concept

S1 : that many predators intuitively understand that creatures with the brightest coloration are
often the least suitable to eat. (NOUN CLAUSE – APPOSITION OF ‘CONCEPT’ )

S1.1 : that creatures with the brightest coloration are often the least suitable to eat ( NOUN
CLAUSE – OBJECT OF ‘UNDERSTAND’ )

4. Video-conferencing has been disparaged for the lack of eye-contact that can affect the efficacy
of the medium and for the fact that participants can be camera conscious.

M1 : Video-conferencing has been disparaged for the lack of eye-contact……..and for the fact
……

S1 : That can affect the efficacy of the medium (ADJ CLAUSE – POST MODIFIER OF ‘LACK
OF EYE-CONTACT’)

S2 : that participants can be camera conscious APPOSITION OF ‘ THE FACT’

5. The public needs experts to offer them specialized advice, but because this advice is
specialized they are not in a position to know what advice they need so this has to be defined in
conversation with the professional.

M1 : The public needs experts to offer them specialized advice

M2 : But…… they are not in a position to know

S1 : because this advice is specialized (ADVERBIAL CLAUSE)

S2 : what advice they need (NOUN CLAUSE- OBJECT OF ‘ADVICE’)

S3 : so this has to be defined in conversation with the professional (ADVERBIAL CLAUSE)

6. This is tough on those diligent professionals who produce excellent work; but since –as
everyone agrees- awful programs far outnumber the good, it is a relief to know the former cannot
do much harm.

M1 : This is tough on those diligent professionals

S1 : who produce excellent work (ADJ CLAUSE – POST MODIFIER OF

‘PROFESSIONALS’)

M2 : but …….. it is a relief to know

S2 : as everyone agrees : (ADVERBIAL CLAUSE )

S3 : since awful programs far out number the good (ADVERBIAL CLAUSE)

S4 : the former cannot do much harm ( NOUN CLAUSE – OBJECT OF ‘KNOW’)

7. We who are fortune enough to live in this enlightened century hardly realize how our
ancestors suffered from their belief in the existence of mysterious and malevolent beings.

M1 : We ….. hardly realize …..

S1 : who are fortune enough to live in this enlightened century (ADJ CLAUSE – POST
MODIFIER OF ‘WE’)
S2 : how our ancestors suffered from their belief in the existence of mysterious and malevolent
beings (NOUN CLAUSE – OBJECT OF REALIZED’)

8. I have no sympathy with a poor man I knew, who, when suicides abounded, told me he dared
not look at his razor.

M1 : I have no sympathy with a poor man

S1 : I knew (ADJ CLAUSE – POST MODIFIER OF ‘MAN’)

S2 : who told me… (ADJ CLAUSE – POST MODIFIER OF ‘MAN’)

S2.1 : when suicides abounded (ADVERBIAL CLAUSE)

S2.2 : he dared not look at his razor (NOUN CLAUSE – OBJECT OF ‘TOLD’

9. To study behaviours and emotion in the normal course of life, we have used the Experience
Sampling Method in which participants carried a beeper, and we signaled them six to eight times
a day, at random, over the period of a week,whenever they heard the beep, they wrote down what
they were doing and how they were feeling.

m1 :To study behaviours and emotion in the normal course of life, we have used the Experience
Sampling Method

S1 : in which participants carried a beeper ADJ CLAUSE – POST MODIFIER OF

‘EXPERIENCE SAMPLING METHOD’

S2 : we signaled them six to eight times a day, at random, over the period of a week ADJ
CLAUSE – POST MODIFIER OF ‘EXPERIENCE SAMPLING METHOD’

S3 : they wrote down and how they were feeling ADJ CLAUSE- POST MODIFIER OF
‘EXPERIENCE SAMPLING METHOD’

S3.1 : whenever they heard the beep ADVERBIAL CLAUSE

S3.2 : What they were doing NOUN CL – OBJECT OF ‘WROTE DOWN’

10. The belief that merit is neglected forms the secret consolidation of almost every human
being from the mightiest to the meanest peasant.
M1 : the belief

S1 : that merit is neglect forms the secret consolidation of almost every human being form the
mightiest to the meanest peasant ADJ CLAUSE – POST MODIFIER OF ‘ THE BELIEF’

11. Like individuals who give to charity, many countries feel it is their religious, social, or moral
duty to help people in other countries who are suffering from famine, drought, war, or disease.

12. When the whale comes up to take a nice big breath of fresh air, it instead gets a nice big
breath of exhaust fume so it is hard to say how greatly it affects the animals, but think how
breathing polluted air affects us.

13. Those who are allergic to furry pets, pollen, and plants are prescribed mild medication or
taught how to control their reactions with simple lifestyle changes, while those with food
allergies learn to safely remove certain food from their diets.

14. It is not known exactly how or when the potatoes were first introduced to Europe, however,
the general assumption is that it arrived on a Spanish ship some time in the 1600s.

15. A few relief programs were eventually implemented, such as soup kitchens and workhouses;
however, these were poorly - run institutions that facilitated the spread of disease and offered
inadequate food supplies considering the extent of Ireland’s shortages.

16. Although the surviving stocks have probably been sufficient to sustain the resident pods,
many of the runs that have been lost were undoubtedly traditional resources favoured by the
resident orcas.
17. But because of the fact that orcas are so popular, they may be the best species to use as a
focal point in bringing about the many changes that need to be made in order to protect the
marine environment as a whole from further toxic poisoning.
18. Marine animals, busy hunting and feeding under the surface of the water, may not be aware
that there is a kayak above them and actually hit the bottom of it as they surface to breathe.

19. With novels, the reader attends mainly to the meaning of words rather than the way they are
printed on the page, whereas the ‘reader’ of a painting must attend just as closely to the material
form of marks and shapes in the picture as to any ideas they may signify.
20. Scientists are increasing to find out what’s going on because they consider the Artic the
‘canary in the mine’ for global warming- a warning of what’s in store for the rest of the world.