PRACTICE EXERCISES

Exercise 1: Classify the words underlined in the following sentences as wither

prepositions or subordinators.
1. I am speaking to you as your doctor.
2. You talk exactly as a doctor does.
3. Since leaving school, I have travelled round the world.
4. I havent been back to my old school since I came up to university.
5. Since the beginning of the year, I havent written a single essay.
6. Take two of the tablets before going to bed.
7. Take two more before breakfast next morning.
8. I will not go near her house until she sends me a written explanation.
9. With so many people chatting, it was impossible to hear what the speaker
what the speaker was trying to say.
10. I cant work in a room with so many other people.
11. He would never put himself out for anybody.
12. For anybody to pretend such a thing is a nonsense.
Exercise 2: Classify the junction of the dependent clauses in the sentences
below under the following headings:
A subject
E adverbials
B direct object
F postmodifier in a noun phrase
C indirect object
G preposition complement
D appositive
H adjective complement
1. As the sun went down behind the church,the trees suddenly became still.
2. I was terrified
3. In daylight, I thought of the Roman remain that had been dug up under our
house.
4. Walking along from St Marys house, you come to a high wall.
5. What I remember most of that evening is the reasonableness of my fathers
arguments.
6. The truth is that I really liked him.
7. The truth, that I really wanted to learn, suddenly dawned on my poor father.
8. What is more important, I suddenly felt ashamed of my childishness.
9. He strongly disapproved of what l had been doing.
10. Now I often meet men who were once at school with me.
11. Whenever I encounter one of them, I feel an outsider.
12. However, seeing George has left me much more confident.
Exercise 3:
Combine each of the sentences below so as to form one sentence combining
a nominal that-clause. 'Say in each case whether the suborditutor is
optional or obligatory; and say what function the that-clause is fulfilling in
the superordinate clause.

1.
2.
3.
4.

We have only enough water for two more days. I told you so.
We have only enough for two days. I am very sorry.
We have only enough for two days. That is our conclusion.
In view of the drought, there is only enough water for two days.
Thats our conclusion.
5. We have only enough for two days. I estimate that having taken careful
measurements.
6. We have only enough for two days. That is very alarming.
7. We concluded that there is only enough water for two days. Our conclusion
has been reached after careful checking.
8. We cannot stay here. We must face that fact.
9. I am convinced we cannot stay here. The results will be disastrous if we do.
10. We have almost exhausted our supplies. How can I convince you of that?
Exercise 4: Which of the sentences below contain nominal that-clause?
1. Everyone tends to think that he is not sufficiently appreciated.
2. Everyone that thinks so is not necessarily conceited.
3. My opinion that you disagree with so strongly has not been properly
represented.
4. My opinion, that no action need to be taken yet, is shared by most of us here.
5. The main difficulty lies in the fact that we have nobody properly qualified
for this work.
6. We are at serious disadvantage in that we have nobody properly qualified for
this work.
7. I understand you have had some trouble with your telephone.
8. Youve had some trouble with your telephone, I understand.
9. That John actually took the money, I cant believe.
10. John never actually took the money, I believe.
Exercise 5: Combining each pair of sentences below so as to form one sentence
containing a wh-clause. Say what function the wh-clause is fulfilling in the
superordinate clause.
1. What caused the explosion? No one ever discovered.
2. What damage did the explosion cause? It took three weeks to estimate.
3. When did the fire start? That was a completely mystery.
4. When did the fever begin? The seriousness of his condition depends on that.
5. When did the fever begin? I am not quite sure.
6. Which drawer does he keep his money in? I can never remember.
7. How can we reduce this high temperature? My problem is that.
8. Why didnt he say he was feeling ill? The question is irrelevant at his stage.
9. How often do these fevers occur? I cant tell you that precisely.
10. How much will all this cost? I am concerned about that.

Exercise 6: Say what function the infinitive clause fulfils in the superordinate
clause below, and what is the subject of each of the two clauses.
1. I expect to be there this evening.
2. I expect everyone to be punctual this evening.
3. I promise you not to be late.
4. The plan is for us all to meet outside at eight.
5. The plan for us all to meet outside was absurd.
6. To speak in public for the first time can be terrifying experience.
7. For Obsert to appear in public at such a time was rather courageous.
Exercise 7: Say what function the ing-clause fulfil in the superordinate clauses
below.
1. I always enjoy listening to chamber music.
2. Listening to chamber music is my greatest pleasure.
3. His greatest pleasure, climbing mountains, had to be abandoned.
4. Was he, then, so given to climbing mountains?
5. He was always happy scaling almost perpendicular cliffs.
Exercise 8: Reduce the finite time clauses to non-finite or verbless clauses
whenever such reduction would be acceptable without change of voice.
1. When I last saw you, you lived in Washinton.
2. When you lived in Washington, did you ever meet Robrt David?
3. Since I met you, I have been reading your book.
4. Once your book is published, it will sell very rapidly.
5. When you are in Rome, do as Rome does.
6. Until you are asked to speak, you would be well advised to remain silent.
7. Before he served in the army, he was much too fat.
8. While he was in the army, he learnt a great deal about electricity.
9. When you enter the town, you will see the monument straight in front of you.
10. After he had travelled round the world. Forbes settled down peacefully in
his native language.