English gurus: How do I diagram/ explain this?

[Blossom'sGirl]

The sentence is:

 

The recipe for this apple pie was invented in the 1800's.

 

This is from R&S English 6 lesson 78 review. The student is supposed to identify the verb phrase (was invented) and copy the word that receives the action (the book says it should be recipe). What I don't get is what is the subject if recipe is the direct object? Or is the book wrong? I was proud of ds because his 1st thought was asking how you would diagram it.

[LaissezFaire]

The apple pie is the subject I believe. The recipe is the DO but the apple pie is what the sentence about I 'think' because it uses the word this instead of the.

[Capt_Uhura]

The recipe for this apple pie was invented in the 1800's.

 

This has totally thrown me for a loop!!! I'm just re-learning formal grammar lol but here's my take on it.

 

"for this apple pie" is a preposition answering the adjective question which recipe. That makes apple pie the object of the preposition. So you can strip the sentence to "The recipe was invented in the 1800's." Recipe is the subject, was invented is the verb phrase.

 

Am I totally off the mark? I did ask a friend who's into grammar and she agrees with me. :001_smile:

 

From Warriner's English Composition and Grammar book, pg 575.

Instead of the usual situation in which the verb expresses an action performed by the subject and affecting the object, a passive construction has the subject receiving the action but it's still the subject.

Edited March 4, 2010 by Capt_Uhura

[amydavis]

The sentence is:

 

The recipe for this apple pie was invented in the 1800's.

 

This is from R&S English 6 lesson 78 review. The student is supposed to identify the verb phrase (was invented) and copy the word that receives the action (the book says it should be recipe). What I don't get is what is the subject if recipe is the direct object? Or is the book wrong? I was proud of ds because his 1st thought was asking how you would diagram it.

 

One of my dc is using this same book. I don't know what to say, because the answer seems wrong. I mean, to me, "recipe" is the simple subj. and "was invented" is the simple pred. ("for this apple pie"/"in the 1800s" are both prepositional phrases). I do not see a direct object in this sentence. My feeling is that it is an error. Hmm...Well, I have found errors in my teacher's guide for ds' Singapore Math, so I know it's not unheard of. For some reason, I just didn't expect it with R&S! I did notice that the word "recipe" is indeed a d.o. in the next sentence, so I am thinking it is possible that someone made an error.

[lindsrae]

There is no direct object. "Recipe" has to be the subject because the other nouns are in prepositional phrases. The verb is passive voice, instead of active, so that might be part of the confusion. If the sentence was:

 

"Aunt Betty invented the recipe for apple pie in the 1800's"

 

then the verb would be active and "recipe" would be the Direct Object (receiving the action), and Aunt B would be the subject. Just a mistake in the book.

[Colleen in NS]

The sentence is:

 

The recipe for this apple pie was invented in the 1800's.

 

This is from R&S English 6 lesson 78 review. The student is supposed to identify the verb phrase (was invented) and copy the word that receives the action (the book says it should be recipe). What I don't get is what is the subject if recipe is the direct object? Or is the book wrong? I was proud of ds because his 1st thought was asking how you would diagram it.

 

Go back and read lesson 55 - it is referenced right above the sentence you mentioned. Basically, a transitive verb can pass its action to a direct object or to a subject. Transitive verb: was invented Subject: recipe

[Colleen in NS]

There is no direct object. "Recipe" has to be the subject because the other nouns are in prepositional phrases. The verb is passive voice, instead of active, so that might be part of the confusion. If the sentence was:

 

"Aunt Betty invented the recipe for apple pie in the 1800's"

 

then the verb would be active and "recipe" would be the Direct Object (receiving the action), and Aunt B would be the subject. Just a mistake in the book.

 

Your explanation is correct, but the book is not mistaken.:D The instructions say nothing about looking for a direct object. It says to find the verb or verb phrase, then, if there is a word that receives action (which could be a d.o. or a subject), write it down. I think the OP was just assuming it had to be a d.o..

Edited March 4, 2010 by Colleen in NS

[Blossom'sGirl]

Your explanation is correct, but the book is not mistaken.:D The instructions say nothing about looking for a direct object. It says to find the verb or verb phrase, then, if there is a word that receives action (which could be a d.o. or a subject), write it down. I think the OP was just assuming it had to be a d.o..

 

I don't even to pretend to have a firm grasp on the english language so I really appreciate all the help. I did assume that since the book said the word recipe was the receiver of the transitive verb it was a direct object. So do I understand this correctly? The sentence was written in the passive voice and therefore the verb is acting on the subject recipe?

 

I am going to have to read lesson 55 again. Unfortunately, I am at the library without my book.

 

Thanks all. I do feel better that I wasn't the only one confused.

[Colleen in NS]

I don't even to pretend to have a firm grasp on the english language so I really appreciate all the help. I did assume that since the book said the word recipe was the receiver of the transitive verb it was a direct object. So do I understand this correctly? The sentence was written in the passive voice and therefore the verb is acting on the subject recipe?

 

Yes, you do understand! I don't have a firm grasp either - but I want to, so I looked it up when I saw your post. I find I have to carefully read R&S's instructions and take note when they mention a review lesson - they are very carefully worded to lead you to do exactly what they intend, but I find I have to just think very carefully through the instruction. So, your post was a good challenge for me - I had forgotten that concept - we are around lesson 91 in book 6.