Unit 4 Writing Assignment

Time to do the writing assignment for Unit 4. Here is my paragraph in rough form, noting at the end of each sentence exactly what type it is and which type of phrase or clause is used.

I live in San Diego. (simple) 

Located in Southern California, it is one of America's largest cities and borders the country of Mexico. (compound with participial phrase) 

Most of the time the sun shines, but occasionally it rains. (compound) 

My home is a three story condominium town home at the northern edge of the city. (simple with prep phrase) 

Although many condominium complexes in San Diego have very little vegetation surrounding them, our town home sits among grass, trees and gardens.  (complex using adverb clause)

Our neighborhood, which is located near many shopping areas, is a popular place to live and whenever I go for a walk, I meet many nice people. (compound-complex with adj. clause and adverb clause)

There is also a park close by and to improve our health, we meet our trainer there twice each week. (compound with infinitive phrase)

Amid this ideal setting, all is not perfect. (prep phrase)

Windows open on a sunny day, we can't avoid the noise of traffic coming from a nearby highway. (absolute phrase)

Also, our neighbors, grandparents of a teenage girl living with them, argue loudly and frequently. (appositive)

To escape these noisier occurrences, we often spend a relaxing day visiting the world famous San Diego Zoo or drive up to the little town of Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains. (compound with inf. phrase and prep phrases)

Although sometimes the days are not perfect, I like where I live and I will always enjoy it. (compound-complex with adv. clause)

I identified all these things so that I could check them off as I wrote them since all were required to satisfy the assignment. Hmm…in consulting the rubric for this assignment, I see that I have to eliminate my linking verbs. This is not easy to do since adjective clauses use them a lot. 

Okay, first sentence now becomes…When we decided to retire, we chose San Diego. Here is the fully corrected version eliminating all forms of the verb "to be".

When we decided to retire, we chose San Diego. (simple with adj clause) 

Located in Southern California, the city numbers among America's largest urban areas and borders the country of Mexico. (compound with participial phrase) 

Most of the time the sun shines, but occasionally it rains. (compound) 

My home, a three story condominium town home at the northern edge of the city sits within a lovely neighborhood. (simple with prep phrase) 

Although many condominium complexes in San Diego have very little vegetation surrounding them, ours rests amid grass, trees and gardens.  (complex using adverb clause)

Close by, a park sits at the center of the complex and to improve our health, we meet our trainer there twice each week. (compound with infinitive phrase)

Amid this ideal setting, all is not perfect. ( simple prep phrase)

Windows open on a sunny day, we can't avoid the noise of traffic coming from a nearby highway. (absolute phrase)

Also, our neighbors, grandparents of a teenage girl living with them, argue loudly and frequently. (appositive)

To escape these noisier occurrences, we often spend a relaxing day visiting the world famous San Diego Zoo or drive up to the little town of Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains. (compound with inf. phrase)

Although sometimes the days lack perfection, I enjoy San Diego and I love my neighborhood. (compound-complex with adv. clause)

Although the first sentence is in the past tense and the rest use action verbs in the present tense, it's just going to have to stand because there's no way I can figure out how to change it and still be able to use an adjectival phrase.