Presentation for a 3000-level grammar class. Based on Chapter 10 of Martha Kolln's Rhetorical Grammar, 6ht edition.

2. What’s a Nominal?
Structures that act like a noun phrase:
Subject Appositive
Direct object Indirect object
Object complement Subject complement

4. Appositives
Noun phrases that rename a subject
nominal, right before or after it
Not the same as adjectives since they
don’t just describe; they can replace
Look at the examples on p. 191.

5. Commas & Appositives
Rules are similar to the ones for
adjectivals:
restrictive info = no comma
nonrestrictive info = comma
Let’s discuss #2 on p.193 and 194.

6. Colons & Appositives
A colon (or a dash) can introduce
appositives with dramatic emphasis
We saw the test: a fifty-question
essay exam.
List of appositives? See p. 195.

7. Sentence Appositives
Noun phrases, usually after a dash, that
rename an entire sentence (kind of like a
broad-reference clause)
The test had 50 essay questions to
be answered in 50 minutes—a
daunting task.

9. Gerunds
-ing verbs that act as nominals:
subjects, objects, complements, etc.
See p. 198 for examples

10. Gerunds & Subjects
When a gerund phrase includes a
singular subject, it’s possessive
I can’t believe my failing the
math class.

12. The Nominalizer
“That” clauses
I can’t believe that the paper is
due so soon.

13. Other Uses of Nominals
Turn a direct quote into indirect
discourse (see p.202)
Complete an interrogative question
with who, why, which

14. Delayed Subjects
Start with an anticipatory “it”: it
has been…it was…
After a verb, put in a nominalizer:
It has been found that short study
sessions work.

15. RECAP, Chs. 8-10
Adverbials = structures that modify
verbs
Adjectivals = structures that modify
nouns
Nominals = structures that replace
nouns