|
KISS Level 2.2.3 - Embedded Prepositional
Phrases
"Embedding" is a concept, not a construction,
but it is an extremely important concept. It simply means that a grammatical
construction has been put into the "bed" of another S/V/C pattern. Any
modifier can be viewed as embedded. Consider the sentences
They live in a big house. It is brown.
They live in a big brown house.
In the second version, "brown" has been taken from its separate pattern,
the "It is" has been deleted, and "brown" has been embedded in the first
sentence. Similarly, a subordinate clause that functions as the direct
object in another clause is embedded in that clause. We do not usually
talk about embedding in these simple sentences, but English sentence structure
is actually based on a very limited number of constructions. The complexity
of our sentences results from the embedding of one construction within
another. Although it is not essential to teach the concept of embedding
at this level, it will help students understand how all the words in a
"sentence" chunk to the main S/V/C pattern. For example, in the sentence
MR. JEREMY bounced
up {to the surface}
{of the water},
{like a cork and the bubbles} {out
of a soda water bottle}.
the concept of embedding lets students see that "out of a soda water
bottle" modifies "cork" and "bubbles" and is thus embedded in the "like"
phrase. The "like" phrase then connects to "bounced" as an adverb. Similarly,
"of the water" modifies "surface," so it is embedded in the "to the surface"
phrase which modifies "bounced."
In the analysis keys, embedded phrases, and
the phrases they are embedded in, are denoted by underlining. The grade-level
books each contain six exercises, in part because this is the last main
sub-level in Level 2.2. (KISS Level 2.2.4 includes advanced questions that
teachers may or may not want to have their students look at in this point
in their work.) Because they can be used as a general review, there are
three sentence-based exercises (# 1, a, b, & c) in each grade-level
book. The next two exercises (#2, a & b) are passages for analysis;
the last exercise is a Treasure Hunt.
Suggested Directions for Analytical Exercises:
1. Underline subjects once, finite verbs twice, and label complements
(PA, PN, IO, DO).
2. Place parentheses around each prepositional phrase. Draw an arrow
from the beginning of each phrase to the word it modifies. Underline any
embedded phrases and the phrases they are embedded in. |
Probable Time Required:
Although it will help students later understand
the embedding of clauses, it is not required at this KISS level. In a single-year
framework, I'd skip embedded phrases. In a longer curriculum design, these
exercises can also be used for review. |
| Exercises
1 (a - c) - Identification |
| Ex.
2 (a & b) - Passages for Analysis |
A
B
| Exercise
3 - Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe Roster |
| Find and bring to class (or write) a sentence
that has an embedded prepositional phrase in it. Underline the embedded
phrase and the phrase that it is embedded in. |
| Old
Exercises |
| These are old exercises that do not fit the new format
of the books. |
| Some
Background Information |
Embedding is the major force behind the power
and complexity of sentence structure. Not only are phrases embedded in
phrases, but subordinate clauses are embedded in main clauses — and into
other subordinate clauses. Verbals are embedded in clauses, and, as noted
earlier in this book some linguists see the child's "The red flower is
pretty." as an embedding of "red" from "The flower is red." into the sentence
"The flower is pretty." Ultimately, it is its focus on embedding that distinguishes
KISS from most approaches to grammar. But at KISS Level Two, our primary
focus still needs to be on enabling students to identify constructions.
Introducing students at this level to the concept of embedding may, in
effect, clarify some questions that they have and also prepare them for
their later work with clauses, but I would not overemphasize it.
The idea of teaching embedded prepositional
phrases was suggested by Robert Einarsson in his "Embedded and Aligned
Phrase Structures," (Syntax in the Schools, Vol. 11, No.2 (Nov.
94) 10-11.) Einarsson used brackets to identify some phrases. That will
not work within KISS because brackets are used to identify clauses. He
also embeds the analytical brackets within brackets, as in
The eyes [of the character [on the billboard
[in the Valley [of Ashes]]]] are a symbol [of Gatsby's desire [for public
display]].
This is precisely the way KISS uses brackets to denote the beginnings and
endings of clauses, but in working with randomly selected sentences, the
embedding of parentheses, which KISS has students use to denote prepositional
phrases can cause confusion when the objects of repositions are themselves
modified by other constructions. Consider, for example,
embedding the parentheses:
They went {to the Athens {in Pennsylvania}
and the Athens {in Greece}}.
compared to underlining embedded phrases and their hosts:
They went {to the Athens} {in Pennsylvania}
and {*to* the Athens} {in Greece}.
Embedding of the parentheses can result in the closing parenthesis for
the first phrase to be so far away from the opening one that their connection
is lost. |
|