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How do I diagram this sentence ("Boats docked at Toronto in Ontario should be registered with the town hall.")?

English Language & Usage Asked by skyfox009 on April 25, 2021

I need help breaking down this sentence, which I found in my grammar book.

Boats docked at Toronto in Ontario should be registered with the town hall.

I’m assuming "docked" here functions as an adjective? And "at Toronto" and " in Ontario" are both prepositions? What is the function of "should be"? Is it acting as a helping verb?

One Answer

The phrase, "docked at Toronto in Ontario," is a past participial phrase. That phrase is adjectival in nature. It modifies the head of the subject, "boats."

The phrase, "should be registered," is a verb phrase. "Should" and "be" are auxiliary verbs, with "should" being a modal auxiliary verb (@user405662). "Registered" is the main verb.

The phrase, "with the town hall," is a prepositional phrase. It acts as an adverbial phrase, and modifies the main verb, "registered."

Answered by Matthew Rips on April 25, 2021

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