2_24+reading+Sample



It was very late and everyone had left the cafe except an old man who sat in the shadow the leaves of the tree made against the electric light. In the day time the street was dusty, but at night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference. The two waiters inside the cafe knew that the old man was a little drunk, and while he was a good client they knew that if he became too drunk he would leave without paying, so they kept watch on him.



Nouns: It: everyone : cafe: (obj) sing. man: shadow: leaves: tree: light: street: dew: (sub) uncountable difference: client:

 Verbs : The majority of verbs are in the past simple here because the text is a narrative in the past.

was: (linking) past simple had left: (transitive*) past perfect //indicates this took place before previous event// sat: (intr) past simple made: (tr*) past simple was: (lnk) past simple liked: (tr) past simple to sit: (intr) infinitive, follows //liked// felt: (tr) past simple became: (lnk) past simple would leave: (intr) would + bare infinitive for past habit? past future?

 Adjectives late: complement of //was// old: modifies //man// electric: modifies //light// dusty: complement of //was;// describes //street// deaf: complement of //was//: describes //he//

 Adverbs very: intensifies //late// late: post verbal now: time, clause initial a little: degree, modifies //drunk// too: degree, modifies //drunk//

Sentence Structure: __It was very late__ and __everyone had left the cafe except an old man__ [[who sat in the shadow] (which) the leaves of the tree made against the electric light.]

I__n the day time the street was dusty__, but __at night the dew settled the dust__ and __the old man liked to sit late__ **because** __he was deaf__ and n__ow at night it was quiet__ and __he felt the difference.__

__The two waiters inside the cafe knew that the old man was a little drunk__, and __while he was a good client they knew__ that __if he became too drunk he would leave without paying__, __so they kept watch on him__.