KISS Grammar ''The Tale of Samuel Whiskers,'' by Beatrix Potter (Ex # 18) AK

Exercise # 18 Based on
The Tale of Samuel Whiskers by Beatrix Potter
Is It a Finite Verb?
Analysis Key

1. The two cats ran to look ^[#1] {at the dough pan}. |

2. It makes me sneeze ^[#2]. |

3. I have got half a smoked ham (DO) hidden {in the chimney}. |

4. Mrs. Tabitha went up and down all {over the house}, mewing ^[#4]{for Tom Kitten}. |

5. He pushed the rolling-pin (DO) {in front} {of him} {with his paws}, {like a

brewer's man} trundling a barrel ^[#5]. |

Notes 1. Some thoughtful students are going to mark "ran to look" as the finite verb. When you don't accept that, they will probably ask why? Can't "ran" function as a helping verb? Tell them it is an excellent question, but that most grammarians do not consider it to be one. Instead, "ran" is the finite verb. They might accept the idea that "to look" explains why they "ran" and thus functions as an adverb to "ran." [Technically, it is an infinitive.]
2. "Me sneeze" fails the sentence test. ["Me" is the subject of the infinitive "sneeze," and the infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "makes."
3. "Ham hidden in the chimney" fails the sentence test. ["Hidden" is a gerundive that modifies "ham."]
4. "Mrs. Tabitha mewing for Tom" fails the sentence test. ["Mewing" is a gerundive that modifies "Mrs. Tabitha."]
5. "A man trundling a barrel" fails the sentence test. ["Trundling" is a gerundive that modifies "man." "Barrel" is the direct object of "trundling." At KISS Level Five, some students will prefer to see "man trundling a barrel" as a noun absolute construction that functions as the object of the preposition "like."]