� 2019 Steve Campsall

'The ancient document, which was clearly written with a particularly fine hand and which was the result of much reflection and hard work, was something of great value - a value that simply could not be accounted for in cash alone.'

What kind of sentence is this?

• It is a complex sentence because it contains two types of clause.

What is its function?

• It is a declarative sentence.

What is its main clause - what it is, at heart, saying?

• 'The document was something of great value'.

What is the subject of the main clause - the thing it tells about, at heart?

• The noun phrase: 'the ancient document'.

What is the head word in the noun phrase that is in the subject position?

• The noun 'document' is the head word in the noun phrase 'The ancient document'.

How many adjective words are there?

• Four adjectives have been used: 'ancient', 'fine', 'hard', 'great'.

How many adverbs are there?

• There are three adverbs: 'clearly', 'particularly', 'simply'.

There are three relative clauses in the sentence. Can you spot each one?

• 'which was clearly written with a particularly fine hand'
• 'which was the result of much reflection and hard work'
• 'a value that simply could not be accounted for in cash alone'

There is a 'copula' or 'linking verb' in the main clause. Which is it?

• 'was'

How many 'adverbials' can you find? These are all prepositional phrases some acting to post-modify a noun, some to modify a verb.

• 'with a particularly fine hand'
• 'of much reflection and hard work'
• 'of great value'
• 'in cash alone'

NEXT PAGE