Adjective Clauses -- Limericks

ADJECTIVE CLAUSE BASICS * ANALYZING ADJECTIVE CLAUSES * PRACTICE


Make Your Own Limerick

like these Limericks from Edward Lear's Book of Nonsense

Spring 1997 Limericks

(remember that the first, second, and last lines should have three beats, and rhyme,
and the third and fourth lines should have two beats, and rhyme.)

There was

geographic location

physical feature


description/habit
narration
narration

further narration

close



Rhyming Words

b - c - d - f - g - h - j - k - l - m - n - p - q - r - s - t - v - w - x - y - z
br - bl - ch - cl - cr - dr - fr - fl v gr - gl - pr - pl - ph - st - sh - sl - sc - sn - sm - sp - sw - th - tr

*to find rhyming words:
a. locate the vowel with the main stress in the word
b. keep that vowel and every sound after it the same
c. change the consonant in front of it

car
-ar
bar

blanket
-anket
drank it

gravity
-avity
cavity

information
-ation
station

telephone
-elephone
?elephone

Geographic locations: "end" of word: words that rhyme*
Champaign
Urbana
Illinois
St.Louis
Chicago
Korea
Japan
Taiwan
Mexico

Limericks written by the Spring 1997 Class

There was a young lady in Champaign
Who drove her white car in the rain
But she forgot to put on the wipers
When she went to get Ruthie's diapers
That silly young lady in Champaign!

There was a young teacher from Urbana
Who loved to eat green banana
She made a banana cake
And ate it with rice and steak
That very full teacher from Urbana!

There was a young man with three eyes
Who seldom turned his head to other guys
When he saw a pretty lady
His head couldn't be steady
That poor young man with three eyes!

There was a young lady from Korea
Who wanted a pretty name like Maria
She had an awful name
That sounded like a shame
The uncomfortable young lady of Korea.

There was a young lady of Japan
Who couldn't find a single man
She looked everywhere
Til she found a bear
That lonely young lady of Japan.

There was a young lady from Seoul
Who never liked a mole
She walked around with her dog
And stood still by her hog
Which protected that young lady from Seoul.

There was a young lady from Illinois
Who looked like a strange boy
She put on a cap
And looked like a sap
That strange young lady of Illinois!

There was an old man of Champaign
Who always felt like grain
When it was harvest time
He preferred to be a lime
That unhappy old man of Champaign.

        There was an old man with a head
        Who said that if he had a bed
        It should be so big
        Which was fine for a pig
        That poor old man with a head.


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Ann Salzmann
Intensive English Institute
University of Illinois