Answers to Complex SPOCA self test
1. Correct answer = four main clauses and two nested clauses
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S
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P
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MCl:
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The computers |
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crashed.
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S
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P
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MCl:
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the students |
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cheered,
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S
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P
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O(= NCl)
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MCl:
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the embarrassed tutors |
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wanted |
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the earth to swallow them up
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&
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S
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P
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O (= NCl)
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MCl:
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and |
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the professor with the bow tie |
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decided |
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to go back to his word processor.
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2. Correct answer = a directly nested AdvCl
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A (=ACl)
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S
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P
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A
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When the car arrived, |
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the gangsters |
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jumped |
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in.
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'When the car arrived' is an adverb clause of time. You could substitute
a time adverb (e.g. 'then') or a prepositional phrase of time (e.g. 'at
six o'clock') for it.
3. Correct answer = a Relative clause (RCl)
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A (= AdvCl)
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S
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P
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O
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A
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A (= AdvCl)
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If we finish work at 10 o'clock,|
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we|
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can have|
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a couple of drinks|
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at the pub John drinks in|
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before we catch the bus back.
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'at the pub John drinks in' is a PP acting as an Adverbial. 'Pub' is
the headword of the NP which is the complement of the preposition. 'John
drinks in' is a Relative clause postmodifier to 'pub'.
4. Correct answer = a Comparative clause (CCl)
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S
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P
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O
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A
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The students|
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presented|
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the little professor|
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with a bigger bowtie than he had ever seen in his
life.
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The clause 'than he had ever seen in his life' is a Comparative clause
related to the comparative adjective 'bigger'.
5. Correct answer = complex sentence
The sentence contains two linked (coordinated) main clauses, with a Noun
clause nested inside the second main clause:
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S
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P
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O
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A
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MCl:
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The students |
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asked for |
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an extension |
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for their essays
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&
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S
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P
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O (= NCl)
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MCl:
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but |
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the tutors |
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said |
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departmental rules did not allow it.
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6. Correct answer = Prepositional clause (PCl)
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S
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P
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O
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A
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A(=PCl)
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The students|
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finished|
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the workshop|
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early|
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by skipping the self-test.
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The directly nested clause filling the Adverbial slot begins with a
preposition, and so must be a Prepositional clause (PCl).
7. Correct answer = Indirectly nested clauses.
Relative clauses are always nested clauses, and because they are postmodifiers
inside NPs they are always indirectly nested inside clauses.
8. Correct answer = listing structure
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P
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MCl:
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Read
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P
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MCl:
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learn
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A
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P
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MCl:
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inwardly |
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digest
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9. Correct answer = A complex sentence: one main clause with two directly
nested Noun clauses.
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S (= NCl)
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P
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C (= NCl)
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MCl:
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What you see |
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is |
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what you get.
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10. Correct answer = 6
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S
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P
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C (= NP containing 5 postmodifying RCls)
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This|
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is|
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the dinosaur (which devoured the dog (that chased the cat (that
ate the rat (which was eating the corn (stored in the house (that
Jack built)))))).
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