Help with structure

Question

Could someone help me analyze the structure of this sentence? I'm really struggling with it.
I have to identify clauses and each of their constituent elements.

'He swallowed a lot of new questions which had just occured to him, and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right to the ceiling."

Paradisse · Accepted Answer

Hi
I think if you want to analyize it

'He swallowed a lot of new questions which had just occured to him, and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right to the ceiling."

i think it will be (clauses )
- he swallowed a lot of new questions
- hwich had just occured to him
- and looked instead
- at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right to the celing .

I'm not sure . I hope it will be true

Mercurysmile3 · Answer

well, wouldn't it instead be seperated into two clauses? Like,

1. 'He swallowed a lot of new questions which had just occured to him

and

2. looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right to the ceiling."

After having 2main clauses I would need to identify their structural elements which is initially what I was trying to ask. Sorry

Thanks for giving me a different perspective. I see what you mean. I hope to hear back from you or anyone else who may have some insight into my problem!

Thanks,
Melissa

CalifJim · Answer

He swallowed a lot of new questions which had just occured to him, and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right to the ceiling.

He | swallowed ... and looked (instead)
subject | verbs joined by a conjunction (adverb)

swallowed | a lot of new questions
verb | complement of the verb, i.e., direct object - also antecedent to "which"

questions: which (the questions) | had occurred | to him
relative pronoun | verb phrase | prepositional phrase - indirect object pronoun "him"
relative clause functioning as an adjective to "questions"

looked | at the thousands of narrow boxes OR looked at | the thousands of narrow boxes
verb | prepositional phrases OR verb | complement, i.e., direct object

boxes | [which were] piled neatly right to the ceiling
direct object | modifying past participle phrase equivalent to a relative clause with "which were" deleted

piled | neatly | right | to the ceiling

past (passive) participle | adverb of manner | adverb of degree modifying the following | prepositional phrase

Well, it's a start, anyway!

Mercurysmile3 · Answer

Thank you CalifJim. Although, I am still stuck on these 2 clauses, you're reply has helped me quite a bit. I'm just still a bit confused. I'll keep trying and post what I have tomorrow to see what others think. Thanks again! I really do appreciate it!
Sincerely,
Melissa

Chiefelectro · Answer

I would analyse it this way:

- "He swallowed a lot of new questions" - main clause; he = subject, swallowed = predicate, a lot of new questions = direct object

- "which had just occured to him" - subordinate clause, functioning as an object complement; internal analysis: which = relative pronoun, had occured = predicate, to him = direct object

- "and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes" - subordinate clause, functioning as an adverbial; internal analysis: and = conjunction; looked at = predicate; the thousands of narrow boxes = direct object

- "(which were) piled neatly right to the ceiling" - subordinate clause, functioning as an object complement; internal analysis: piled = predicate, neatly = adverbial, to the ceiling = adverbial.

That´s the way I learned it and I hope it´s correct...

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