Diagramming proper noun question :)

[mom32boys]

OK, I promise - I used to be really good at grammar, but this one has me stumped.

 

My kids are in a one day/ week hybrid classical school this year. They use Shurley English. In the past, we've used R&S and GWG.

Anyways, one of the homework sheets had us labeling (Shurley's version of diagramming) a sentence with the proper noun Mississippi River as the subject. Now I realize that Mississippi, in reality, is an adjective, but since it's part of a proper noun, I told my ds to label the whole thing as the subject noun instead of labeling Mississippi as an adjective. His English teacher (haven't been that impressed by her so far) told him that he was totally wrong and that he needed to mark it as an adjective.

 

I realize that in the grand scheme of things this is a silly question, but which way is correct? I've looked through R&S 5 and most of the Shurley Grammar 6 TG and neither has an example of diagramming a sentence that has a proper noun that is a noun phrase.

 

Thanks for your help :001_smile:!

 

Julie

[LinRTX]

Mississippi River is one thing. It is all the subject. It is taught in R&S 6 for sure. We never did 5.

 

Linda

[claire up north]

I agree with you. Proper nouns are all one thing. :)

[Joy at Home]

:iagree: Teacher needs to brush up on her grammar.

 

 

I agree with you. Proper nouns are all one thing. :)

[mom32boys]

Thanks Linda.

 

I wouldn't have minded if his teacher had told him, "I can see why you put that. I guess we're both right because Mississippi functions as an adjective, but is part of a proper noun." It bothered me that she told him he was wrong and needed to change it, without acknowledging the logic he used to mark it - and it turns out he was right according to R&S 6!

 

You've made me feel better :001_smile:

 

Julie