Dr. Johanna E. Rubba
English Department (Linguistics)
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California

Last updated  4/23/09
© 2009 Johanna Rubba

Parsing practice 2

Look for the roles subject, predicate, verb phrase (main/lexical verb [with auxiliaries, if any]), direct object, indirect object, adverbial and object of preposition. Prepositional phrases with 'of' modify the nouns they follow; they are part of the phrase that the noun is in. It is usually a good idea to locate all prepositional phrases first, so that the noun phrases they contain are "covered" and won't confuse you concerning direct objects and such.  NOT ALL SENTENCES HAVE ALL ROLES.

To the best of your ability, identify the type of phrase that fills the role of subject and the roles inside the predicate (e.g., noun phrase, prepositional phrase, etc.).

Use your arsenal of native-speaker intuition tests, such as the "eraser technique" for finding  subjects and adverbials, the  "to-for test" for finding indirect objects, and the tense-change and "not-insertion" tests to find verbs and their auxiliaries (helping verbs). To find direct objects, first, find the verb. If there is a noun phrase after the verb, ask "who/what is being (verb)ed?"

In #1, for instance, you can find the verb phrase by inserting "not":

1. The amateur birdwatcher must NOT spend many hours in the woods. The verb phrase is "must spend"; "must" is the auxiliary and "spend" is the main verb.
What is being spent? "Many hours." This is the direct object. Notice you can then verify that "many hours" is the full direct object by using a pronoun as an "eraser":  The amateur birdwatcher must spend manyTHEM hours in the woods.

Starter: Over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go. (leave 'and' out) [Note: the subject is not always the first thing in a sentence.]

1. The amateur birdwatcher must spend many hours in the woods.
2. The conscientious observer can differentiate bird species by their varying 'field marks'.
3. Field guides show birders various birds'  field marks .
4. In the field, birders note beak type, tail shape, eye rings, and wing bars carefully. (Consider the underlined portion to be a single phrase.)

KEY STARTER-4

5. Specialist catalogs offer bird lovers many birding accessories.
6. I will buy my birder friend a new field guide for her birthday. ("For her birthday" answers the questions "why, for what purpose or reason?")
7. Many bird enthusiasts have elaborate feeders in their yards.
8. You can find such feeders at 'Wild Birds Unlimited' in the Marigold Plaza.

KEY 5-8

9. Many Eastern birds are seen in the West during the Fall migration period.
10. Windstorms blow the birds off their usual course ...
11. and they travel along the wrong flyway.  ('and' is not part of any phrase here)
12. They find a winter home in Central America.
13. Most birds don't sing during the winter.
14. The next spring, the errant travelers follow their usual flyway to their usual breeding grounds.

KEY 9-14

15. The birds build their nests there during the breeding season.
16. They feed their babies insects.
17. Some wild birds lay their eggs in other birds' nests.
18. The intruder babies push their competitors out of the nest.
19. The cuckoo's habit of doing this has given us the word 'cuckold'.

KEY 15-19

20. John J. Audubon painted detailed pictures of birds in the 1800s.
21. The Audubon Society takes its name from this admired figure.
22. Audubon studied birds scientifically.
23. He left us detailed descriptions of many now-extinct species.

KEY   20-23

KEY:

Over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go. (leave 'and' out)

Item Function Form
 we subject  pronoun
Over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house ... go predicate .
go verb phrase .
Over the river adverbial prepositional phrase
through the woods adverbial  prepositional phrase
to grandmother's house adverbial  prepositional phrase
the river, the woods, grandmother's house object of preposition noun phrase

1. The amateur birdwatcher must spend many hours in the woods.

Item Function Form
The amateur birdwatcher subject  noun phrase 
must spend many hours in the woods predicate .
must spend verb phrase .
many hours direct object noun phrase
in the woods adverbial prepositional phrase
the woods object of preposition noun phrase

2. The conscientious observer can differentiate bird species by their varying 'field marks'.

Item Function Form
The conscientious observer subject  noun phrase
can differentiate bird species by their varying 'field marks'. predicate .
can differentiate verb phrase .
bird species  direct object noun phrase
by their varying 'field marks' adverbial  prepositional phrase
their varying 'field marks' object of preposition noun phrase

3. Field guides show birders various birds'  field marks .

Item Function Form
Field guides  subject  noun phrase
show birders various birds'  field marks  predicate .
show verb phrase .
various birds'  field marks direct object noun phrase 
birders indirect object noun

4. In the field, birders carefully note beak type, tail shape, eye rings, and wing bars.

Item Function Form
birders subject  noun  
In the field ... carefully note beak type, tail shape, eye rings, and wing bars predicate .
note verb phrase .
beak type, tail shape, eye rings, and wing bars direct object noun  
In the field adverbial  prepositional phrase
carefully adverbial adverb
the field object of preposition noun phrase

5. Specialist catalogs offer bird lovers many birding accessories.

Item Function Form
Specialist catalogs subject  noun phrase
offer bird lovers many birding accessories predicate .
offer verb phrase .
many birding accessories direct object noun phrase
bird lovers indirect object  noun phrase

6. I will buy my birder friend a new field guide for her birthday.

Item Function Form
 I subject  pronoun
will buy my birder friend a new field guide for her birthday predicate .
will buy verb phrase .
my birder friend indirect object noun phrase
a new field guide direct object noun phrase 
for her birthday adverbial prepositional phrase
her birthday object of preposition noun phrase

7. Many bird enthusiasts have elaborate feeders in their yards.

Item Function Form
Many bird enthusiasts subject  noun phrase 
have elaborate feeders in their yards predicate .
have verb phrase .
elaborate feeders direct object noun phrase 
in their yards adverbial prepositional phrase
their yards object of preposition noun phrase

8. You can find such feeders at 'Wild Birds Unlimited' in the Marigold Plaza.

Item Function Form
 You subject  noun phrase 
can find such feeders at 'Wild Birds Unlimited' in the Marigold Plaza predicate .
can find verb phrase .
such feeders direct object noun phrase 
at 'Wild Birds Unlimited' adverbial prepositional phrase
in the Marigold Plaza adverbial prepositional phrase
'Wild Birds Unlimited' and the Marigold Plaza object of preposition noun phrase

9. Many Eastern birds are seen in the West during the Fall migration period.

Item Function Form
Many Eastern birds  subject  noun phrase 
are seen in the West during the Fall migration period predicate .
are seen verb phrase .
in the West adverbial prepositional phrase
during the Fall migration period adverbial prepositional phrase
the West, the Fall migration period object of preposition noun phrase

10. Windstorms blow the birds off their usual course ...

Item Function Form
Windstorms subject  noun
blow the birds off their usual course  predicate .
blow verb phrase .
the birds direct object noun phrase 
off their usual course adverbial prepositional phrase
their usual course object of preposition noun phrase

11. and they travel along the wrong flyway.  ('and' is not part of any phrase here)

Item Function Form
they subject pronoun
travel along the wrong flyway predicate .
travel verb phrase .
along the wrong flyway adverbial  prepositional phrase
the wrong flyway object of preposition noun phrase

12. They find a winter home in Central America.

Item Function Form
They subject pronoun
find a winter home in Central America predicate .
find verb phrase .
a winter home direct object noun phrase 
in Central America adverbial prepositional phrase
Central America object of preposition noun phrase

13. Most birds don't sing during the winter.

Item Function Form
Most birds subject  noun phrase 
don't sing during the winter predicate .
don't sing verb phrase .
during the winter adverbial  prepositional phrase
the winter object of preposition noun phrase

14. The next spring, the errant travelers follow their usual flyway to their usual breeding grounds.

Item Function Form
the errant travelers subject  noun phrase 
The next spring ... follow their usual flyway to their usual breeding grounds predicate .
follow verb phrase .
their usual flyway direct object noun phrase
the next spring adverbial noun phrase
to their usual breeding grounds adverbial prepositional phrase
their usual breeding grounds object of preposition noun phrase

15. The birds build their nests there during the breeding season.

Item Function Form
These birds subject  noun phrase 
build their nests there during the breeding season predicate .
build verb phrase .
their nests direct object noun phrase
there adverbial pro-form for place expressions
the breeding season object of preposition noun phrase

16. They feed their babies insects.

Item Function Form
they subject pronoun
feed their babies insects predicate .
feed verb phrase .
insects direct object noun
their babies indirect object noun phrase

17. Some wild birds lay their eggs in other birds' nests.

Item Function Form
Some wild birds subject  noun phrase 
lay their eggs in other birds' nests predicate .
lay verb phrase .
their eggs direct object noun phrase
in other birds' nests adverbial prepositional phrase
other birds' nests object of preposition noun phrase

18. The intruder babies  push their competitors out of the nest.

Item Function Form
The intruder babies subject  noun phrase 
push their competitors out of the nest predicate .
push verb phrase .
their competitors direct object noun phrase 
out of the nest adverbial prepositional phrase
the nest object of preposition noun phrase

19. The cuckoo's habit of doing this has given us the word 'cuckold'.

Item Function Form
The cuckoo's habit of doing this subject  noun phrase 
has given us the word 'cuckold'. predicate .
has given verb phrase .
the word 'cuckold' direct object noun phrase 
us indirect object pronoun

20. John J. Audubon painted detailed pictures of birds in the 1800s.

Item Function Form
John J. Audubon subject  noun phrase
painted detailed pictures of birds in the 1800s predicate .
painted verb phrase .
detailed pictures of birds direct object noun phrase 
in the 1800s adverbial prepositional phrase
birds, the 1800s object of preposition noun phrase

21. The Audubon society takes its name from this admired figure.

Item Function Form
The many Audubon societies subject  noun phrase 
take their name from this admired figure predicate .
take verb phrase .
their name direct object noun phrase
from this admired figure adverbial prepositional phrase
this admired figure object of preposition noun phrase

22. Audubon  studied birds scientifically.

Item Function Form
Audubon subject  noun phrase 
 studied birds scientifically predicate .
studied verb phrase .
birds direct object noun  
scientifically adverbial adverb

23. He left us detailed descriptions of many now-extinct species.

Item Function Form
he subject  pronoun
left us detailed descriptions of many now-extinct species predicate .
left verb phrase .
detailed descriptions of many now-extinct species direct object noun phrase 
us indirect object pronoun
many now-extinct species object of preposition noun phrase