Good. I found a friend. I'll keep in touch, but just a quick background. I am a male baby-boomer who set out thirteen years ago to become a writer, only to find out how unwilling I was to make the effort. But there's a silver lining in every cloud. I switched to another cup of tea as I took that turn at the fork in the road. Unqualified to be your colleague because of my being a mere layman, an amateur, I should like to be considered one of your pupils, who shall at present like to introduce you to my mentor: Mr. Warriner and his colleagues.
If you haven't used his textbooks, I am sure you've heard of his dreadful reputation as him being a stiff, hardcore educator. Back when the boys used Brylcreem and the girls wore those bobby socks, he put together a series of about six or seven books ranging from the sixth to the twelfth grade. The ninth grade, freshman, is about all they've ever used across the nation. The rest went into oblivion. Shakespeare was more important. Here's a link, so you can see what I own, I have four in the series.
The man was a genius. The precepts, the concepts, the principles and fundamental are all there. I've spent all these years going over his work. I leave you now with this:
I diagram a sentence no matter how simple or complex.
Every word, phrase, and clause in a sentence serves two roles: its function as a part of speech used in context by definition, and its purpose.
The girl wore a red dress.
The / girl / wore / a / red / dress
The = indefinite article, functioning as an adjective with a purpose of modifying the common noun and subject of the sentence "girl." It answers the question, "Which girl?" The one being pointed out, not just "a" girl or "any" girl, but this girl.
girl = subject
wore = action verb, transitive verb, Past Tense of wear. Its function is to act as a verb, and its purpose is to do what a verb does: "...expresses action or otherwise helps make a statement."--Warinner's.
a = another article
red = common noun functioning as an adjective and its purpose is to describe the dress; it answers the question, "What color is the dress?" Red.
dress = common noun, D.O. of verb.
I did this not to impress you, but to show you my level of expertise. I know there's a lot more out there; I have my library of dictionaries, usage and style manuals, etc.
Mr. Warriner's prolific statement on the uses of subordinate clauses:
"Subordinate clauses, like phrases, function in sentences as single parts of speech. A subordinate clause can be used as an adjective, and adverb, or a noun, thus enabling us to express ideas that are difficult or impossible to state with single-word nouns or modifiers alone."--Warriner, John E. Warriner’s English Grammar, and Composition. Liberty Edition. Third Course. Chicago: Jovanovich, 1986. 126.
Now, aren't you glad you met me? LOL
Chow.
P.S. I'm a cancer survivor, and my wife took it all in 2008 and is still alive: heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and wears a permanent trach. You are not alone. Welcome to the club of Hanging by a Thread!