American English Grammar:
Answers to Exercises
Dr. Seth R. Katz
Bradley University
Department of English
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4126-8439
July 2025
©2025
Information Classification: General
, American English Grammar: Answers to Exercises
Acknowledgments
Thanks to fall 2022 student Caetlyn Dawdy for her excellent eye in helping to edit this
answer key.
Thanks to fall 2024 student Jack Tangel for his keen eye and ear.
All remaining errors are exclusively my responsibility. ~~SRK
2
Information Classification: General
, American English Grammar: Answers to Exercises
1.3 Exercises: Sentences
Find the Subjects and Predicates 1. Made-up sentences.
A. COMPLETE SUBJECT: The discovery of the vitamins
COMPLETE PREDICATE: was a major scientific achievement in our
understanding of health and disease.
SIMPLE SUBJECT: discovery
SIMPLE PREDICATE: was
B. COMPLETE SUBJECT: Casimir Funk
COMPLETE PREDICATE: coined the term “vitamin”
SIMPLE SUBJECT: Casimir Funk
SIMPLE PREDICATE: coined
SENTENCE MODIFIER: In 1912
C. COMPLETE SUBJECT: The major period of discovery
COMPLETE PREDICATE: ran from the early nineteenth century to the mid-
twentieth century
SIMPLE SUBJECT: period
SIMPLE PREDICATE: ran
D. COMPLETE SUBJECT: The puzzle of each vitamin
COMPLETE PREDICATE: was solved through the work and contributions of
epidemiologists, physicians, physiologists, and chemists
SIMPLE SUBJECT: puzzle
SIMPLE PREDICATE: was solved
OR
COMPLETE PREDICATE: was solved
SIMPLE PREDICATE: was solved
SENTENCE MODIFIER: through the work and contributions of epidemiologists,
physicians, physiologists, and chemists1
E. COMPLETE SUBJECT: Scientific work on vitamins
COMPLETE PREDICATE: proceeded through a slow, stepwise series of setbacks,
contradictions, refutations, and some chicanery
SIMPLE SUBJECT: work
SIMPLE PREDICATE: proceeded
F. COMPLETE SUBJECT: Research on the vitamins
COMPLETE PREDICATE: began when the germ theory of disease was dominant2
SIMPLE SUBJECT: research
SIMPLE PREDICATE: began
G. COMPLETE SUBJECT: clinicians
COMPLETE PREDICATE: recognized scurvy, beriberi, rickets, pellagra, and
xerophthalmia as specific vitamin deficiencies
SIMPLE SUBJECT: clinicians
SIMPLE PREDICATE: recognized
SENTENCE MODIFIERS: Soon
3
Information Classification: General
, American English Grammar: Answers to Exercises
H. COMPLETE SUBJECT: experimental physiology with animal models
COMPLETE PREDICATE: greatly shortened the period of human suffering from
vitamin deficiencies
SIMPLE SUBJECT: physiology
SIMPLE PREDICATE: shortened
SENTENCE MODIFIERS: After many different kinds of studies
I. COMPLETE SUBJECT: the chemists
COMPLETE PREDICATE: isolated the various vitamins; deduced their chemical
structure; developed methods for synthesis of vitamins
SIMPLE SUBJECT: chemists
SIMPLE PREDICATE: isolated; deduced; developed
SENTENCE MODIFIERS: Ultimately
J. COMPLETE SUBJECT: our understanding of the vitamins
COMPLETE PREDICATE: has evolved
SIMPLE SUBJECT: understanding
SIMPLE PREDICATE: has evolved
SENTENCE MODIFIERS: Since the initial period of discovery; because of the
careful labor of innumerable scientists
Find the Subjects and Predicates 2. A real text.
(A) Complete Subject: former President Jimmy Carter
Complete Predicate: knows how to sell books.
Sentence Modifier: As one of the most prolific authors ever to sit in the Oval Office
(B) Complete Subject: Carter
Complete Predicate: reveals his secret to reaching the bestseller list: Pitch buyers at
discount warehouses.
Sentence Modifier: As he hawks his 19th, Sharing Good Times
(C) Complete Subject: he
Complete Predicate: says "Sam's Club and Costco . . . have a vast array of customers.”
[In the quote:
[Complete Subject: Sam's Club and Costco
[Complete Predicate: have a vast array of customers
(D) Complete Subject: they
Complete Predicate: (a)re very valuable assets
(E) Complete Subject: Carter, who favors Costco for West Coast book signings and Sam's in
the East
Complete Predicate: says the warehouses draw a different audience than do
bookstores
4
Information Classification: General
Answers to Exercises
Dr. Seth R. Katz
Bradley University
Department of English
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4126-8439
July 2025
©2025
Information Classification: General
, American English Grammar: Answers to Exercises
Acknowledgments
Thanks to fall 2022 student Caetlyn Dawdy for her excellent eye in helping to edit this
answer key.
Thanks to fall 2024 student Jack Tangel for his keen eye and ear.
All remaining errors are exclusively my responsibility. ~~SRK
2
Information Classification: General
, American English Grammar: Answers to Exercises
1.3 Exercises: Sentences
Find the Subjects and Predicates 1. Made-up sentences.
A. COMPLETE SUBJECT: The discovery of the vitamins
COMPLETE PREDICATE: was a major scientific achievement in our
understanding of health and disease.
SIMPLE SUBJECT: discovery
SIMPLE PREDICATE: was
B. COMPLETE SUBJECT: Casimir Funk
COMPLETE PREDICATE: coined the term “vitamin”
SIMPLE SUBJECT: Casimir Funk
SIMPLE PREDICATE: coined
SENTENCE MODIFIER: In 1912
C. COMPLETE SUBJECT: The major period of discovery
COMPLETE PREDICATE: ran from the early nineteenth century to the mid-
twentieth century
SIMPLE SUBJECT: period
SIMPLE PREDICATE: ran
D. COMPLETE SUBJECT: The puzzle of each vitamin
COMPLETE PREDICATE: was solved through the work and contributions of
epidemiologists, physicians, physiologists, and chemists
SIMPLE SUBJECT: puzzle
SIMPLE PREDICATE: was solved
OR
COMPLETE PREDICATE: was solved
SIMPLE PREDICATE: was solved
SENTENCE MODIFIER: through the work and contributions of epidemiologists,
physicians, physiologists, and chemists1
E. COMPLETE SUBJECT: Scientific work on vitamins
COMPLETE PREDICATE: proceeded through a slow, stepwise series of setbacks,
contradictions, refutations, and some chicanery
SIMPLE SUBJECT: work
SIMPLE PREDICATE: proceeded
F. COMPLETE SUBJECT: Research on the vitamins
COMPLETE PREDICATE: began when the germ theory of disease was dominant2
SIMPLE SUBJECT: research
SIMPLE PREDICATE: began
G. COMPLETE SUBJECT: clinicians
COMPLETE PREDICATE: recognized scurvy, beriberi, rickets, pellagra, and
xerophthalmia as specific vitamin deficiencies
SIMPLE SUBJECT: clinicians
SIMPLE PREDICATE: recognized
SENTENCE MODIFIERS: Soon
3
Information Classification: General
, American English Grammar: Answers to Exercises
H. COMPLETE SUBJECT: experimental physiology with animal models
COMPLETE PREDICATE: greatly shortened the period of human suffering from
vitamin deficiencies
SIMPLE SUBJECT: physiology
SIMPLE PREDICATE: shortened
SENTENCE MODIFIERS: After many different kinds of studies
I. COMPLETE SUBJECT: the chemists
COMPLETE PREDICATE: isolated the various vitamins; deduced their chemical
structure; developed methods for synthesis of vitamins
SIMPLE SUBJECT: chemists
SIMPLE PREDICATE: isolated; deduced; developed
SENTENCE MODIFIERS: Ultimately
J. COMPLETE SUBJECT: our understanding of the vitamins
COMPLETE PREDICATE: has evolved
SIMPLE SUBJECT: understanding
SIMPLE PREDICATE: has evolved
SENTENCE MODIFIERS: Since the initial period of discovery; because of the
careful labor of innumerable scientists
Find the Subjects and Predicates 2. A real text.
(A) Complete Subject: former President Jimmy Carter
Complete Predicate: knows how to sell books.
Sentence Modifier: As one of the most prolific authors ever to sit in the Oval Office
(B) Complete Subject: Carter
Complete Predicate: reveals his secret to reaching the bestseller list: Pitch buyers at
discount warehouses.
Sentence Modifier: As he hawks his 19th, Sharing Good Times
(C) Complete Subject: he
Complete Predicate: says "Sam's Club and Costco . . . have a vast array of customers.”
[In the quote:
[Complete Subject: Sam's Club and Costco
[Complete Predicate: have a vast array of customers
(D) Complete Subject: they
Complete Predicate: (a)re very valuable assets
(E) Complete Subject: Carter, who favors Costco for West Coast book signings and Sam's in
the East
Complete Predicate: says the warehouses draw a different audience than do
bookstores
4
Information Classification: General
