Question

Choose one paragraph from To Kill a Mockingbird that uses a variety of clauses and phrases. Identify and label at least three different kinds of clauses and phrases in the paragraph.

Answer 1

Answer: When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow. When it healed, and Jem’s fears of never being able to play football were assuaged, he was seldom self-conscious about his injury. His left arm was somewhat shorter than his right; when he stood or walked, the back of his hand was at right angles to his body, his thumb parallel to his thigh. He couldn’t have cared less, so long as he could pass and punt.

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow. When it healed, and Jem’s fears of never being able to play football were assuaged, he was seldom self-conscious about his injury. His left arm was somewhat shorter than his right; when he stood or walked, the back of his hand was at right angles to his body, his thumb parallel to his thigh. He couldn’t have cared less, so long as he could pass and punt.

• Phrases:

1. my brother Jem - noun phrase
2. about his injury - prepositional phrase
3. couldn't have cared less - verb phrase

• Clauses:

1. When he was nearly thirteen - dependent (adverb) clause
2. Jem’s fears of never being able to play football - dependent (noun) clause
3. His left arm was somewhat shorter than his right - main clause

* Note that dependent clauses are clauses that cannot stand on their own (they do not express a complete idea). Main clauses, on the other hand, can stand alone in a sentence and present a complete thought.