Grammar analysis prompts

 Create 3 examples of  grammar analysis prompts.  Explain each.

  

Example 1: Sentence Structure and Clause Analysis

• Prompt:
  "Analyze the following passage. Identify the sentence types (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex) used. For any sentences that are not simple, identify the independent and dependent clauses. Explain how the clauses are connected (e.g., coordinating conjunction, subordinating conjunction, punctuation)."

• Passage for Analysis:
  "The old lighthouse stood on the cliff's edge, its beam cutting through the fog. Mariners had relied on its guidance for generations, although modern technology now offered alternative navigation. Because the structure was historic, the local community fought passionately for its preservation; they believed it represented their heritage."

• Explanation:
  This prompt focuses on syntactic structure at the sentence and clause level. It requires the analyzer to:

  1. Recognize sentence boundaries.

  2. Identify the core components of sentences: clauses (groups of words with a subject and a verb).

  3. Distinguish between independent clauses (which can stand alone as a sentence) and dependent clauses (which cannot).

  4. Understand the relationships between clauses and the grammatical tools (conjunctions, punctuation like semicolons) used to link them.

  5. Classify sentences based on their clause structure.
     This type of analysis assesses understanding of how complex ideas are built up from simpler grammatical units and how sentences achieve variety and flow.

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Example 2: Verb Tense, Aspect, Voice, and Mood Analysis

• Prompt:
  "Examine the verbs used in the passage below. For each underlined verb phrase, identify its:
  a) Tense (e.g., past, present, future)
  b) Aspect (e.g., simple, progressive, perfect, perfect progressive)
  c) Voice (active or passive)
  d) Mood (e.g., indicative, imperative, subjunctive - if applicable)
  Briefly comment on how the choice of tense/aspect/voice contributes to the meaning or effect of the sentence."

• Passage for Analysis:
  "Dr. Aris <u>had been researching</u> the phenomenon for years before the discovery <u>was finally made</u>. He <u>hopes</u> his findings <u>will revolutionize</u> the field. If funding <u>were secured</u>, further experiments <u>could begin</u> immediately. <u>Consider</u> the implications!"

• Explanation:
  This prompt targets a deep analysis of verb morphology and semantics. Verbs are crucial for conveying time, action status, and the relationship between the subject and the action. This prompt requires the analyzer to:

  1. Identify verb phrases accurately.

  2. Deconstruct verb phrases to understand their components (auxiliary verbs + main verbs).

  3. Apply knowledge of grammatical categories specific to verbs (tense, aspect, voice, mood).

  4. Connect grammatical form to meaning and function, considering why a particular form was chosen (e.g., why past perfect progressive? why passive voice?).
     This assesses a nuanced understanding of how verbs shape the narrative, timeline, and perspective within a text.

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Example 3: Phrase Identification and Function Analysis

• Prompt:
  "Read the sentence below carefully. Identify at least three different types of phrases (e.g., prepositional phrase, participial phrase, gerund phrase, infinitive phrase, appositive phrase). For each phrase you identify, name its type and explain its grammatical function within the sentence (e.g., functions as an adjective modifying [noun], functions as an adverb modifying [verb/adjective/adverb], functions as a noun [subject/object])."

• Sentence for Analysis:
  "Running along the beach, the energetic puppy, a golden retriever with floppy ears, loved chasing seagulls to entertain its owner."

• Explanation:
  This prompt focuses on grammatical units smaller than clauses but larger than single words – phrases. It tests the ability to recognize how groups of words work together without necessarily containing both a subject and a finite verb in the way clauses do. The analyzer must:

  1. Identify distinct phrasal units.

  2. Classify these phrases based on their structure (e.g., starting with a preposition, participle, gerund, infinitive, or renaming a noun).

  3. Determine the role each phrase plays in the larger sentence structure – specifically, what it modifies (if adjectival or adverbial) or what noun role it fills (if nominal).
     This assesses understanding of how sentences are expanded and elaborated using phrases to add detail, description, and nuance. It highlights how different structures achieve different modifying or naming effects.