| Childhood is the bough | principal |
| where slumbered | |
| Birds and blossoms many-numbered | subordinate locative (of place) |
Age that bow with snows encumbered | coordinate. |
(Note: the best English poetry makes far less use of inversion than does Italian. Such exercises as the above could be profitably applied to the analysis of the different kinds of phrases (adjective, adverbial, etc.). It should be noted that Dr. Montessori in her own exercises treats verbal phrases (participles and infinitives) as subordinate clauses.—Tr.)
Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions
This study of the complex sentence leads the child to a more precise comprehension of the values of certain parts of speech as, notably, the conjunction. We have found, in fact, that little difficulty is experienced in realizing the distinction between the terms coordinating and subordinating as applied to conjunctions which unite clauses but in different ways. The following charts serve to cover the vast majority of cases that the child is likely to meet. We may add that at this point it may be found useful to have the child analyze the complex sentences which appeared in the commands and readings already familiar to him (see below under Reading).
COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
Copulatives: and, also, too, besides, moreover, further, furthermore, nor.
Disjunctives: or else, otherwise, rather.
Adversatives: but, nevertheless, however, notwithstanding, yet, still, while, only, instead.
Declaratives: namely, in other words, that is.